[Ni(0)L]-catalyzed cyclodimerization of 1,3-butadiene: a density functional investigation of the influence of electronic and steric factors on the regulation of the selectivity

Mechanism, reactivity, and selectivity of nickel-catalyzed [4 + 4 + 2] cycloadditions of dienes and alkynes

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations with B3LYP and M06 functionals elucidated the reactivities of alkynes and Z/E selectivity of cyclodecatriene products in the Ni-catalyzed [4 + 4 + 2] cycloadditions of dienes and alkynes. The Ni-mediated oxidative cyclization of butadienes determines the Z/E selectivity. Only the oxidative cyclization of one s-cis to one s-trans butadiene is facile and exergonic, leading to the observed 1Z,4Z,8E-cyclodecatriene product. The same step with two s-cis or s-trans butadienes is either kinetically or thermodynamically unfavorable, and the 1Z,4E,8E- and 1Z,4Z,8Z-cyclodecatriene isomers are not observed in experiments. In addition, the competition between the desired cooligomerization and [2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of alkynes depends on the coordination of alkynes. With either electron-deficient alkynes or alkynes with free hydroxyl groups, the coordination of alkynes is stronger than that of dienes, and alkyne trimerization prevails. With alkyl-substituted alkynes, the generation of alkyne-coordinated nickel complex is much less favorable, and the [4 + 4 + 2] cycloaddition occurs.

An approach to mimicking the sesquiterpene cyclase phase by nickel-promoted diene/alkyne cooligomerization

Artificially mimicking the cyclase phase of terpene biosynthesis inspires the invention of new methodologies, since working with carbogenic frameworks containing minimal functionality limits the chemist's toolbox of synthetic strategies. For example, the construction of terpene skeletons from five-carbon building blocks would be an exciting pathway to mimic in the laboratory. Nature oligomerizes, cyclizes, and then oxidizes γ,γ-dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) and isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) to all of the known terpenes. Starting from isoprene, the goal of this work was to mimic Nature's approach for rapidly building molecular complexity. In principle, the controlled oligomerization of isoprene would drastically simplify the synthesis of terpenes used in the medicine, perfumery, flavor, and materials industries. This article delineates our extensive efforts to cooligomerize isoprene or butadiene with alkynes in a controlled fashion by zerovalent nickel catalysis building off the classic studies by Wilke and co-workers.

The influence of N-substitution on the reductive elimination behaviour of hydrocarbyl–palladium–carbene complexes—a DFT study

The reductive elimination of 2-hydrocarbyl-imidazolium salts from hydrocarbyl-palladium complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands represents an important deactivation route for catalysts of this type. We have explored the influence that carbene N-substituents have on both the activation energy and the overall thermodynamics of the reductive elimination reaction using density functional theory (DFT). Given the proximity of the N-substituent to the three-centred transition structure, steric bulk has little influence on the activation barrier and it is electronic factors that dominate the barriers' magnitude. Increased electron donation from the departing NHC ligand acts to stabilise the associated complex against reductive elimination, with stability following the trend: Cl < H < Ph < Me < Cy < iPr < neopentyl < tBu. The intimate involvement of the carbene p pi-orbital in determining the barrier to reductive elimination means N-substituents that are capable of removing pi-density (e.g. phenyl) act to promote a more facile reductive elimination.

Facile synthesis of multisubstituted buta-1,3-dienes via Suzuki-Miyaura and Kumada cross-coupling strategy of 2,4-diiodo-buta-1-enes with arylboronic acids and Grignard reagents

One-pot Suzuki-Miyaura-type and Kumada-type cross-coupling reactions of 2,4-diiodo-buta-1-enes with arylboronic acids and alkyl/aryl magnesium bromides were carried out in the presence of accessibly simple catalysts under mild conditions. As a result, some 1,1,2-trisubstituted buta-1,3-dienes were obtained including the Tamoxifen-type, which have potential adjuvant therapy in women who have suffered from breast cancer and cyclooxygenase-2-type (COX-2-type) inhibitors, some of which have been proved to elicit efficient anti-inflammatory analgesic activities and less adverse gastrointestinal side effects and to be very useful in the prophylactic treatment of a wide variety of cancers and neurodegenerative disorders.

Computational Rationalization of the Dependence of the Enantioselectivity on the Nature of the Catalyst in the Vanadium-Catalyzed Oxidation of Sulfides by Hydrogen Peroxide

A computational study with the IMOMM(Becke3LYP:MM3) method is carried out on the mechanism of the enantioselective reaction of complex V(O)(L)(OOH), L= bulky tridentate Schiff base, and bis(tert-butyl) disulfide. The reaction with a given L ligand A is first systematically studied: different conformers of the catalyst are optimized, and the large number of associated transition states are systematically searched. The study is then extended to the geometry optimization of selected transition states associated to other ligands B, C, and D, similar to A but differing in the nature of certain substituents R1, R2, R3. The experimental trends in selectivity for catalysts based on ligands A to D are faithfully reproduced by the calculations. Analysis of the computational results leads finally to the formulation of a simple model that can explain one of the most remarkable aspect of this reaction, namely the large effect on enantioselectivity of ligands seemingly far from each other in the catalyst.

A QM/MM Study of the Asymmetric Dihydroxylation of Terminal Aliphaticn-Alkenes with OsO4⋅(DHQD)2PYDZ: Enantioselectivity as a Function of Chain Length

The dihydroxylation of terminal aliphatic n-alkenes catalyzed by OsO4(DHQD)2PYDZ ((DHQD)2PYDZ=bis(dihydroquinidine)pyridazine) has been computationally studied by the hybrid QM/MM IMOMM(Becke3LYP:MM3) method. The cases of propene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 1-octene, 1-nonene, and 1-decene have been considered. A systematic treatment for the large number of possible conformations of the longer chain alkenes has been defined and applied, leading to the selection of approximately 1700 conformations to be computed. The IMOMM calculations of the transition states formed between these conformations and the catalyst generate enantiomeric excesses that closely resemble the experimental data of related systems, specifically in the preference for the R isomer and in its dependence on the chain length of the substrate. The selectivity increases sharply with the elongation of the short-chain alkenes until a ceiling value is reached, with further elongations having little effect on the enantiomeric excess (ee). These results are rationalized through the partitioning of the total energy of selected conformers, a process that leads to the identification of the most relevant regions of the catalyst and the characterization of the interactions critical for selectivity.

[RhIL]-catalyzed cyclotetramerization of 1,3-butadiene: a theoretical investigation of alternative mechanistic paths for the generation of the [RhIII(octadienediyl)(PR3)]+ complex

A detailed theoretical investigation of alternative mechanistic paths for the formation of the [Rh(III)(octadienediyl)(PiPr3)]+ complex is presented, employing a gradient-corrected density functional theory (DFT) method (BP86). This process represents most likely the first step in the recently reported [Rh(I)L]-catalyzed cyclotetramerization of butadiene (M. Bosch, M. S. Brookhart, K. Ilg and H. Werner, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2000, 39, 2304). The favorable route for oxidative addition under C-C-bond formation starts from the prevalent [Rh(I)(butadiene)2(PiPr3)]+ form of the active catalyst through oxidative coupling between two cis-eta4-butadienes. This affords the [Rh(III)(bis-eta3-anti-octadienediyl)(PiPr3)]+ compound as the kinetic coupling product that consecutively undergoes transformation into the thermodynamically favorable bis-eta3-syn-octadienediyl-Rh(III) isomer via facile allylic conversions occurring in the octadienediyl framework. The computationally predicted energy profile is almost in quantitative agreement with the experimentally determined kinetics and allows a consistent rationalization of the experimental observations.

[Ni0]-Catalyzed Co-oligomerization of 1,3-Butadiene and Ethylene: A Theoretical Mechanistic Investigation of Competing Routes for Generation of Linear and Cyclic C10-Olefins

A detailed theoretical investigation of the mechanism for the [Ni(0)]-catalyzed co-oligomerization of 1,3-butadiene and ethylene to afford linear and cyclic C(10)-olefins is presented. Crucial elementary processes have been carefully explored for a tentative catalytic cycle, employing a gradient-corrected density functional theory (DFT) method. The favorable route for oxidative coupling starts from the prevalent [Ni(0)(eta(2)-butadiene)(2)(ethylene)] form of the active catalyst through oxidative coupling between the two eta(2)-butadienes. The initial eta(3),eta(1)(C(1))-octadienediyl-Ni(II) product is the active precursor for ethylene insertion, which preferably takes place into the syn-eta(3)-allyl-Ni(II) bond of the prevalent eta(3)-syn,eta(1)(C(1)),Delta-cis isomer. The insertion is driven by a strong thermodynamic force, giving rise entirely to eta(3),eta(1),Delta-trans-decatrienyl-Ni(II) forms, with the eta(3)-anti,eta(1),Delta-trans isomer almost exclusively generated. Occurrence of allyl,eta(1),Delta-cis isomers, however, is precluded on both kinetic and thermodynamic grounds, thereby rationalizing the observation that cis-DT and cis,cis-CDD are never formed. Linear and cyclic C(10)-olefins are generated in a highly stereoselective fashion, with trans-DT and cis,trans-CDD as the only isomers, along competing routes of stepwise transition-metal-assisted H-transfer (DT) and reductive CC elimination under ring closure (CDD), respectively, that start from the prevalent eta(3)-anti,eta(1),Delta-trans-decatrienyl-Ni(II) species. The role of allylic conversion in the octadienediyl-Ni(II) and decatrienyl-Ni(II) complexes has been analyzed. As a result of the detailed exploration of all important elementary steps, a theoretically verified, refined catalytic cycle is proposed and the regulation of the selectivity for formation of linear and cyclic C(10)-olefins is elucidated.

Density functional study on the mechanism of the vanadium-catalyzed oxidation of sulfides by hydrogen peroxide

A computational study with the Becke3LYP method is carried out on the mechanism of the reaction of complexes V(O)(L)(OOH) and V(O)(LH)(OO) (L = O(CH)(3)N(CH(2))(2)O) with CH(3)S-SCH(3), a system that stands as a model for experimental systems where the metal complex contains larger chelating Schiff bases and the substrate is bis(tert-butyl) disulfide. The different possible isomers of both the hydroperoxo V(O)(L)(OOH) and the peroxo V(O)(LH)(OO) forms of the catalyst are explored, and the reactivity of the most stable among them with the dimethyl disulfide substrate is studied through location of the corresponding transition states. A large variety of reactive paths happen to exist, though in all cases the reaction takes place through a direct transfer process, with the simultaneous formation of the S-O bond and breaking of the O-O bond being the rate-limiting step.