Epoxide-opening and group-transfer reactions mediated by monomeric zirconium imido complexes

Scandium Terminal Imido Chemistry

Research into transition metal complexes bearing multiply bonded main-group ligands has developed into a thriving and fruitful field over the past half century. These complexes, featuring terminal M═E/M≡E (M = transition metal; E = main-group element) multiple bonds, exhibit unique structural properties as well as rich reactivity, which render them attractive targets for inorganic/organometallic chemists as well as indispensable tools for organic/catalytic chemists. This fact has been highlighted by their widespread applications in organic synthesis, for example, as olefin metathesis catalysts. In the ongoing renaissance of transition metal-ligand multiple-bonding chemistry, there have been reports of M═E/M≡E interactions for the majority of the metallic elements of the periodic table, even some actinide metals. In stark contrast, the largest subgroup of the periodic table, rare-earth metals (Ln = Sc, Y, and lanthanides), have been excluded from this upsurge. Indeed, the synthesis of terminal Ln═E/Ln≡E multiple-bonding species lagged behind that of the transition metal and actinide congeners for decades. Although these species had been pursued since the discovery of a rare-earth metal bridging imide in 1991, such a terminal (nonpincer/bridging hapticities) Ln═E/Ln≡E bond species was not obtained until 2010. The scarcity is mainly attributed to the energy mismatch between the frontier orbitals of the metal and the ligand atoms. This renders the putative terminal Ln═E/Ln≡E bonds extremely reactive, thus resulting in the formation of aggregates and/or reaction with the ligand/environment, quenching the multiple-bond character. In 2010, the stalemate was broken by the isolation and structural characterization of the first rare-earth metal terminal imide-a scandium terminal imide-by our group. The double-bond character of the Sc═N bond was unequivocally confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Theoretical investigations revealed the presence of two p-d π bonds between the scandium ion and the nitrogen atom of the imido ligand and showed that the dianionic [NR]^2- imido ligand acts as a 2σ,4π electron donor. Subsequent studies of the scandium terminal imides revealed highly versatile and intriguing reactivity of the Sc═N bond. This included cycloaddition toward various unsaturated bonds, C-H/Si-H/B-H bond activations and catalytic hydrosilylation, dehydrofluorination of fluoro-substituted benzenes/alkanes, CO₂ and H₂ activations, activation of elemental selenium, coordination with other transition metal halides, etc. Since our initial success in 2010, and with contributions from us and across the community, this young, vibrant research field has rapidly flourished into one of the most active frontiers of rare-earth metal chemistry. The prospect of extending Ln═N chemistry to other rare-earth metals and/or different metal oxidation states, as well as exploiting their stoichiometric and catalytic reactivities, continues to attract research effort. Herein we present an account of our investigations into scandium terminal imido chemistry as a timely summary, in the hope that our studies will be of interest to this readership.

(tert-Butylimido)bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)pyridinezirconium(IV)

The title compound, [Zr(C₅H₅)₂(C₄H₉N)(C₅H₅N)], was obtained from the reaction of (C₅H₅)₂Zr(py)(η²-Me₃SiC₂SiMe₃) (py is pyridine) and ^tBuN=C=N^tBu alongside the formation of (C₅H₅)₂Zr(CN^tBu)(η²-Me₃SiC₂SiMe₃). The zirconium atom is coordinated in a distorted tetra­hedral geometry by two cyclo­penta­dienyl ligands, a pyridine ligand, and a tert-butyl­imido ligand via a Zr=N double bond. The tert-butyl group is disordered over two positions in a 0.634 (5):0.366 (5) ratio.

Scope and mechanism of formal S(N)2' substitution reactions of a monomeric imidozirconium complex with allylic electrophiles

The zirconium imido complex Cp2(THF)Zr=NSi(t-Bu)Me2 (1) reacts with allylic ethers, chlorides, and bromides to give exclusively the products of the SN2' reaction; i.e., attack at the allylic position remote from the leaving group with migration of the double bond. The primary amine products can be isolated in excellent yields, after in situ Cbz protection, in the presence of variety of functional groups. Good diastereoselectivity and complete stereoselectivity allowed the formation of enantioenriched allylic amines from enantioenriched allylic ethers. Regiospecific substitution with 1 has also been achieved with allylic fluorides, which are notoriously poor substrates in other substitution reactions. On the basis of rate and kinetic isotope effect studies, we propose a general mechanism for the allylic substitution reactions with 1 which involves dissociation of THF and binding of the substrate, followed by the substitution step. In a DFT study of the substitution reaction, we identified a six-membered closed transition state for the substitution step and other relevant stationary points along the reaction coordinate. This study shows that the substitution reaction can be described as a concerted asynchronous [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. This detailed knowledge of the reaction mechanism provides a rationale for the origins of the observed regio-, diastereo-, and stereoselectivity and of the unusual reactivity profile observed in the reaction.

Zirconium-mediated SN2' substitution of allylic ethers: regio- and stereospecific formation of protected allylic amines

A new zirconium-mediated, regio- and stereospecific SN2' substitution of allylic ethers with a nitrogen nucleophile has been developed. Cbz-protected amine products were isolated in high yield from reactions with a wide range of Z allylic ethers. A mechanism of the allylic substitution consistent with the results of the kinetics and kinetic isotope effect studies was proposed.

Catalytic ester-amide exchange using group (IV) metal alkoxide-activator complexes

A process for preparation of amides from unactivated esters and amines has been developed using a catalytic system comprised of group (IV) metal alkoxides in conjunction with additives including 1-hydroxy-7-azabenzotriazole (HOAt). In general, ester-amide exchange proceeds using a variety of structurally diverse esters and amines without azeotropic reflux to remove the alcohol byproduct. Initial mechanistic studies on the Zr(Ot-Bu)4-HOAt system revealed that the active catalyst is a novel, dimeric zirconium complex as determined by X-ray crystallography.

Synthetic and Mechanistic Studies of Strained Heterocycle Opening Reactions Mediated by Zirconium(IV) Imido Complexes

The reactions of the bis(cyclopentadienyl)(tert-butylimido)zirconium complex (Cp(2)Zr=N-t-Bu)(THF) (1) with epoxides, aziridines, and episulfides were investigated. Heterocycles without accessible beta-hydrogens undergo insertion/protonation of the C-X bond to produce 1,2-amino alcohols (X = O) and 1,2-diamines (X = NR), whereas heterocycles with accessible beta-hydrogens undergo elimination/protonation to produce allylic alcohols (X = O) and allylic sulfides (X = S). Mechanistic investigations support a stepwise pathway with zwitterionic intermediates for the first reaction class and a concerted pathway for the second reaction class. Additionally, the feasibility of chirality transfer from the planar-chiral ebthi (ebthi = ethylenebis(tetrahydroindenyl)) ligand was demonstrated with a chiral analogue, (ebthi)-Zr=NAr(THF) (Ar = 2,6-dimethylphenyl), 2, through the diastereoselective ring opening of meso epoxides.

Enantioselective Synthesis of ansa-Zirconocenes

The reaction of the chiral chelated bis-amide complex Zr{(2R,4R)-PhNCHMeCH2CHMeNPh}Cl2(THF)2 (R,R-7) with lithium ansa-bis-indenyl reagents Li2[SBI](Et2O) (8a, SBI = (1-indenyl)2SiMe2) or Li2[EBI](Et2O) (8b, EBI = 1,2-(1-indenyl)2ethane) in THF affords the corresponding ansa-zirconocenes S,S-(SBI)Zr{(2R,4R)-PhNCHMeCH2CHMeNPh} (S,S,R,R-9a) or S,S-(EBI)Zr{(2R,4R)-PhNCHMeCH2CHMeNPh} (S,S,R,R-9b) in >95% isolated yield and >99% enantiomeric excess. Compound 9b was converted to the corresponding enantiomerically pure dichloride S,S-(EBI)ZrCl2 (S,S-10b) in 91% isolated yield by reaction with HCl in Et2O. The chiral diamine (2R,4R)-HPhNCHMeCH2CHMeNHPh (R,R-5) was recovered from this reaction.

Nitro and Nitroso Metathesis Reactions with Monomeric Zirconium Imido Complexes

The bis(cyclopentadienyl)(tert-butylimido)zir-conium complex 1 undergoes ambient-temperature metathesis reactions with nitro- and nitrosoarenes, providing a rare nonphotochemical synthesis of cis-azoxy and cis-azo compounds, respectively. 2-Nitro-2-methylpropane also undergoes metathesis to give trans-(tert-butylazoxy)-2-methylpropane. This reaction was studied kinetically, and the rate was found to be first order in both 1 and substrate and inversely proportional to the concentration of tetrahydrofuran, with activation parameters DeltaH(double dagger) = 15 +/- 2 kcal mol(-1) and DeltaS(double dagger) = -26 +/- 3 cal mol(-1) K(-1).