Vanadium-Catalyzed Cross Metathesis: Limitations and Implications for Future Catalyst Design

A Vanadium Methylidene

Examples of stable 3d transition metal methylidene complexes are extremely rare. Here we report an isolable and stable vanadium methylidene complex, [(PNP)V(=NAr)(=CH2)] (PNP = N[2-PiPr2-4-methylphenyl]-, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3), via H atom transfer (HAT) from [(PNP)V(NHAr)(CH3)] or [(PNP)V(=NAr)(CH3)] using two or one equivalents of the TEMPO radical (TEMPO = (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl), respectively. Alternatively, the vanadium methylidene moiety can also be formed via the treatment of transient [(PNP)V=NAr] with the Wittig reagent, H2CPPh3. Structural and spectroscopic analysis, including 13C enriched labeling of the methylidene ligand, unequivocally confirmed the terminal nature of a rare 3d methylidene complex, featuring a V=CH2 bond distance of 1.908(2) Å and a highly downfield 13C NMR spectral shift at 298 ppm. In the absence of the ylide, intermediate [(PNP)V=NAr] activates dinitrogen to form an end-on bridging N2 complex, [(PNP)V(=NAr)]2(μ2-η1:η1-N2), having a singlet ground state. Complex [(PNP)V(=NAr)(=CH2)] reacts with H3COTf to form [(PNP)V(=NAr)(OTf)], accompanied by the release of ethylene as evidenced by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and reactivity studies suggest a β-hydride elimination pathway.

A benzene-bridged divanadium complex-early transition metal catalyst for alkene alkylarylation with PhI(O2CR)2via decarboxylation

The synthesis, structure and catalytic activity of a benzene-bridged divanadium complex were comprehensively studied. The reduction of (Nacnac)VCl2 (1) (Nacnac = (2,6-iPr2C6H3NCMe)2HC) supported by β-diketiminate with potassium graphite (KC8) by employing benzene as the solvent allows access to the benzene-bridged inverted-sandwich divanadium complex (μ-η6:η6-C6H6)[V(Nacnac)]2 (2a), which can catalyze alkene alkylarylation with hypervalent iodine(iii) reagents (HIRs) via decarboxylation to generate regioselectively diverse indolinones. Furthermore, the mild nature of this reaction was amenable to a wide range of functionalities on alkenes and HIRs. Mechanistic studies revealed a relay sequence of decarboxylative radical alkylation/radical arylation/oxidative re-aromatization.

Enantioselective Synthesis of 4-Allyl Tetrahydroquinolines via Copper(I) Hydride-Catalyzed Hydroallylation of 1,2-Dihydroquinolines

CuCl/(R,R)-Ph-BPE-catalyzed asymmetric hydroallylation of 1,2-dihydroquinolines, prepared from readily available quinolines, was developed. The optically active tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) bearing an allylic functionality at position 4 were obtained in good yields and excellent enantioselectivity. The introduced allylic groups are amenable to diverse transformations, thus offering chances to rapidly expand the THQ libraries.