Synthesis and Characterization of C- and N-Bound Isomers of Transition Metal α-Cyanocarbanions

Metal-Carbon Bond Heterolysis Energy Scale for Model Palladium Catalysts

Thermodynamic studies of transition-metal intermediates are crucial for understanding of metal-catalyzed transformations. Herein, a series of arylpalladium cyanomethanides were synthesized and characterized. Their palladium-carbon bond heterolysis energies (ΔGhet(Pd-C)) were determined in DMSO for the first time by equilibrium methods. ΔGhet(Pd-C) values of 7.9-19.1 kcal/mol, located between the ΔGhet(Pd-O) and ΔGhet(Pd-N) scales previously established, are much smaller than the corresponding ΔGhet(C-H)s of phenylacetonitrile (30.0 kcal/mol). Linear free energy relationship (LEFR) analysis reveals insights into the structure-property relationship and the factor dictating the thermodynamics of metalation. These ΔGhet(Pd-X)s in combination with ΔGhet(X-H)s are successfully used to diagnose the reaction feasibility and selectivity of X-H bond activation.

Reductive C-C Coupling from α,β-Unsaturated Nitriles by Intercepting Keteniminates

We present an atom-economic strategy to catalytically generate and intercept nitrile anion equivalents using hydrogen transfer catalysis. Addition of α,β-unsaturated nitriles to a pincer-based Ru-H complex affords structurally characterized κ-N-coordinated keteniminates by selective 1,4-hydride transfer. When generated in situ under catalytic hydrogenation conditions, electrophilic addition to the keteniminate was achieved using anhydrides to provide α-cyanoacetates in high yields. This work represents a new application of hydrogen transfer catalysis using α,β-unsaturated nitriles for reductive C-C coupling reactions.

Dinuclear PhosphoiminoBINOL-Pd Container for Malononitrile: Catalytic Asymmetric Double Mannich Reaction for Chiral 1,3-Diamine Synthesis

A phosphoiminoBINOL ligand was designed to form a dinuclear metal complex that could hold a malononitrile molecule. The dinuclear bis(phosphoimino)binaphthoxy-Pd₂(OAc)₂ complex catalyzed a double Mannich reaction of N-Boc-imines with malononitrile to give chiral 1,3-diamines with high enantioselectivity. The rational asymmetric catalyst, which smoothly introduces the first coupling product to the second coupling reaction while avoiding the reverse reaction, facilitates the over-reaction into a productive reaction process.

C- and N-Metalated Nitriles: The Relationship between Structure and Selectivity

Metalated nitriles are exceptional nucleophiles capable of forging highly hindered stereocenters in cases where enolates are unreactive. The excellent nucleophilicity emanates from the powerful inductive stabilization of adjacent negative charge by the nitrile, which has a miniscule steric demand. Inductive stabilization is the key to understanding the reactivity of metalated nitriles because this permits a continuum of structures that range from N-metalated ketenimines to nitrile anions. Solution and solid-state analyses reveal two different metal coordination sites, the formally anionic carbon and the nitrile nitrogen, with the site of metalation depending intimately on the solvent, counterion, temperature, and ligands. The most commonly encountered structures, C- and N-metalated nitriles, have either sp³ or sp² hybridization at the nucleophilic carbon, which essentially translates into two distinct organometallic species with similar but nonidentical stereoselectivity, regioselectivity, and reactivity preferences. The hybridization differences are particularly important in S_Ni displacements of cyclic nitriles because the orbital orientations create very precise trajectories that control the cyclization selectivity. Harnessing the orbital differences between C- and N-metalated nitriles allows selective cyclization to afford nitrile-containing cis- or trans-hydrindanes, decalins, or bicyclo[5.4.0]undecanes. Similar orbital constraints favor preferential S_Ni displacements with allylic electrophiles on sp³ centers over sp² centers. The strategy permits stereoselective displacements on secondary centers to set contiguous tertiary and quaternary stereocenters or even contiguous vicinal quaternary centers. Stereoselective alkylations of acyclic nitriles are inherently more challenging because of the difficulty in creating steric differentiation in a dynamic system with rotatable bonds. However, judicious substituent placement of vicinal dimethyl groups and a trisubstituted alkene sufficiently constrains C- and N-metalated nitriles to install quaternary stereocenters with excellent 1,2-induction. The structural differences between C- and N-metalated nitriles permit a rare series of chemoselective alkylations with bifunctional electrophiles. C-Magnesiated nitriles preferentially react with carbonyl electrophiles, whereas N-lithiated nitriles favor S_N2 displacement of alkyl halides. The chemoselective alkylations potentially provide a strategy for late-stage alkylations of polyfunctional electrophiles en route to bioactive targets. In this Account, the bonding of metalated nitriles is summarized as a prelude to the different strategies for selectively preparing C- and N-metalated nitriles. With this background, the Account then transitions to applications in which C- or N-metalated nitriles allow complementary diastereoselectivity in alkylations and arylations, and regioselective alkylations and arylations, with acyclic and cyclic nitriles. In the latter sections, a series of regiodivergent cyclizations are described that provide access to cis- and trans-hydrindanes and decalins, structural motifs embedded within a plethora of natural products. The last section describes chemoselective alkylations and acylations of C- and N-metalated nitriles that offer the tantalizing possibility of selectively manipulating functional groups in bioactive medicinal leads without recourse to protecting groups. Collectively, the unusual reactivity profiles of C- and N-metalated nitriles provide new strategies for rapidly and selectively accessing valuable synthetic precursors.

Copper-mediated radical alkylarylation of unactivated alkenes with acetonitrile leading to fluorenes and pyrroloindoles

A Cu-mediated/catalyzed selective oxidative dual C–H bond cleavage of an arene and alkylnitrile or acetone is reported. This method provides an alternative method for designing new pharmaceutical frameworks and photoelectronic devices.

Development of biomimetic catalytic oxidation methods and non-salt methods using transition metal-based acid and base ambiphilic catalysts

This review focuses on the development of ruthenium and flavin catalysts for environmentally benign oxidation reactions based on mimicking the functions of cytochrome P-450 and flavoenzymes, and low valent transition-metal catalysts that replace conventional acids and bases. Several new concepts and new types of catalytic reactions based on these concepts are described. (Communicated by Ryoji Noyori, M.J.A.).

Cyclic Metalated Nitriles: Stereoselective Cyclizations to cis- and trans-Hydrindanes, Decalins, and Bicyclo[4.3.0]undecanes

Metalated nitriles are nucleophilic chameleons whose precise identity is determined by the nature of the metal, the solvent, the temperature, and the structure of the nitrile. The review surveys the different structural types and their cyclization trajectories to show how to selectively tune the metalated nitrile geometry for stereoselective cyclizations to a variety of cis or trans hydrindanes, decalins, and bicyclo[4.3.0]undecanes.

Metalated Nitriles: Stereodivergent Cation-Controlled Cyclizations1

Stereodivergent cyclizations of gamma-hydroxy cyclohexanecarbonitriles are controlled simply through judicious choice of cation in the alkylmetal base. Deprotonating a series of cyclic gamma-hydroxy nitriles with i-PrMgBr generates C-magnesiated nitriles that cyclize under stereoelectronic control to cis-fused hydrindanes, decalins, and bicyclo [5.4.0] undecanes. An analogous deprotonation with BuLi triggers cyclization to trans-fused hydrindanes, decalins, and bicyclo [5.4.0] undecanes consistent with a sterically controlled electrophilic attack on an equatorial nitrile anion. Using cations to control the geometry of metalated nitriles provides a versatile, stereodivergent cyclization to cis- and trans-hydrindanes, decalins, and [5. 4. 0] undecanes, and reveals the key geometric requirements for intramolecular S(N)2 and S(N)2' displacements.

Metalated Nitriles: Chelation-Controlled Cyclizations to cis and trans Hydrindanes and Decalins

Chelation provides a powerful means of stereocontrol in alkylations of metalated nitriles. Doubly deprotonating a series of cyclic beta-hydroxynitriles triggers cyclizations that implicate metalated nitrile intermediates having configurations imposed by chelation with an adjacent, chiral lithium alkoxide. Identifying chelation as a general stereocontrol element explains several previously anomalous alkylations of metalated nitriles and provides a potential solution to the long-standing difficulty of synthesizing trans-hydrindanes. Employing chelation to control the metalated nitrile geometry permits selective cyclizations to cis and trans hydrindanes and decalins and provides key insight into the geometrical requirements of these demanding cyclizations.

C-metalated nitriles: electrophile-dependent alkylations and acylations

Sequential carbonyl addition-conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to 3-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonitrile generates C-magnesiated nitriles whose alkylation stereoselectivities intimately depend on the nature of the electrophile. The alkylation of these C-magnesiated nitriles with alkyl halides, sulfonates, and unstrained ketones occurs with the retention of the C-Mg configuration, whereas aldehyde and acyl cyanide acylations proceed with inversion of the stereochemistry. Mechanistic probes indicate that the stereoselectivity is controlled by stereoelectronic effects for most electrophiles, except allylic, benzylic, and cyclopropyl halides where single-electron-transfer processes intervene. Screening numerous alkylations of C-magnesiated nitriles with a diverse range of electrophiles reveals the reaction scope and delineates the fundamental stereoelectronic effects responsible for the highly unusual electrophile-dependent alkylations.

Cyclic Nitriles: Diastereoselective Alkylations

[reaction: see text] Diastereoselective alkylations of metalated conformationally locked 4-tert-butylcyclohexanecarbonitrile are highly diastereoselective with magnesium and copper counterions but only modestly diastereoselective with lithium as the counterion. Selective generation of diverse metalated nitriles is readily achieved through bromine-magnesium, -copper, and -lithium exchange reactions of the corresponding bromonitrile or, for lithium, by deprotonating the parent nitrile with lithium diethylamide. Collectively, high alkylation stereoselectivities correlate with the retentive alkylations of C-metalated nitriles, whereas N-lithiated nitriles alkylate with modest selectivity, reflecting minimal steric differences in the corresponding axial and equatorial electrophile trajectories.

Metalated Nitriles: Organolithium, -magnesium, and -copper Exchange of α-Halonitriles

[reaction: see text] alpha-Halonitriles react with alkyllithium, organomagnesium, and lithium dimethylcuprate reagents generating reactive, metalated nitriles. The rapid halogen-metal exchange with alkyllithium and Grignard reagents allows selective exchange in the presence of reactive carbonyl electrophiles, including aldehydes, providing a high-yielding alkylation protocol. Lithiated and magnesiated nitriles react with propargyl bromide by S(N)2 displacement whereas organocopper nitriles react by S(N)2' displacement, correlating with the formation of a C-metalated nitrile.

Acrylonitrile Insertion Reactions of Cationic Palladium Alkyl Complexes

The reactions of acrylonitrile (AN) with "L(2)PdMe+" species were investigated; (L(2) = CH(2)(N-Me-imidazol-2-yl)(2) (a, bim), (p-tolyl)(3)CCH(N-Me-imidazol-2-yl)(2) (b, Tbim), CH(2)(5-Me-2-pyridyl)(2) (c, CH(2)py'(2)), 4,4'-Me(2)-2,2'-bipyridine (d), 4,4'-(t)Bu(2)-2,2'-bipyridine (e), (2,6-(i)Pr(2)-C(6)H(3))N=CMeCMe=N(2,6-(i)Pr(2)-C(6)H(3)) (f)). [L(2)PdMe(NMe(2)Ph)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (2a-c) and [{L(2)PdMe}(2)(mu-Cl)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (2d-f) react with AN to form N-bound adducts L(2)Pd(Me)(NCCH=CH(2))(+) (3a-f). 3a-e undergo 2,1 insertion to yield L(2)Pd{CH(CN)Et}+, which form aggregates [L(2)Pd{CH(CN)Et}](n)(n)(+) (n = 1-3, 4a-e) in which the Pd units are proposed to be linked by PdCHEtCN- - -Pd bridges. 3f does not insert AN at 23 degrees C. 4a-e were characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, IR and derivatization to L(2)Pd{CH(CN)Et}(PR(3))+ (R = Ph (5a-e), Me (6a-c)). 4a,b react with CO to form L(2)Pd{CH(CN)Et}(CO)+ (7a,b). 7a reacts with CO by slow reversible insertion to yield (bim)Pd{C(=O)CH(CN)Et}(CO)+ (8a). 4a-e do not react with ethylene. (Tbim)PdMe+ coordinates AN more weakly than ethylene, and AN insertion of 3b is slower than ethylene insertion of (Tbim)Pd(Me)(CH(2)=CH(2))(+) (10b). These results show that most important obstacles to insertion polymerization or copolymerization of AN using L(2)PdR+ catalysts are the tendency of L(2)Pd{CH(CN)CH(2)R}+ species to aggregate, which competes with monomer coordination, and the low insertion reactivity of L(2)Pd{CH(CN)CH(2)R}(substrate)+ species.

Palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of carbonyl compounds and nitriles

The palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of ketones has become a useful and general synthetic method. In this process, an enolate is generated from a ketone and base in the presence of an aryl halide, and a palladium catalyst couples this enolate with the aryl halide. With the advent of new catalysts composed of sterically hindered, electron-rich alkylphosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands, this process now encompasses a broad range of enolates and related anions, including those derived from amides, esters, aldehydes, nitriles, malonates, cyanoesters, nitroalkanes, sulfones, and lactones. In the proposed mechanism for this reaction, the carbon-carbon bond of the product is formed by reductive elimination from an arylpalladium enolate intermediate. The structures and reactions of arylpalladium complexes of enolate, cyanoalkyl, and malonate ions have been studied to determine how the binding mode and electronic and steric parameters influence the rate and mechanism of reductive elimination.

Mechanism of the interconversions between C- and N-bound transition metal alpha-cyanocarbanions

The first presentation of the intra- and intermolecular mechanisms of the C-N interconversions of transition metal alpha-cyanocarbanions is described. A pair of N- and C-bound isomers of isonitrile complex Ru+Cp(NCCH-SO2Ph)(PPh3)(CN-t-Bu) (1) and RuCp[CH(CN)SO2Ph](PPh3)(CN-t-Bu) (2) was synthesized for the mechanistic studies on the N-to-C isomerizations. Structural characterization by X-ray diffractions of 1 and 2 indicated their typical zwitterionic and alpha-metalated structures. The kinetic studies on the irreversible isomerization of 1 to 2 in benzene-d6 at 333-348 K were carried out using 1H NMR spectroscopy, affording the first-order rate constants k1 and the activation parameters DeltaH = 107 +/- 2 kJ.mol-1 and DeltaS = -22 +/- 5 J.K-1.mol-1. The almost identical values of k1 were obtained upon similar treatment of 1 with 4 equiv of external ligands such as PPh3, CH3CN, and t-BuNC at 333 K, indicating that the N-to-C isomerization proceeds in an intramolecular manner without dissociation of a ligand. As a model system for the C-to-N isomerization, the irreversible transformation of RuCp[CH(CN)SO2Ph](PPh3)2 (3) to Ru+Cp(NCCH-SO2Ph)(PPh3)2 (4) was investigated under various reaction conditions. The reaction of 3 at room temperature in THF affords the coordination dimers (RRu*,SC*,RRu*,SC*)-{RuCp[CH(CN)SO2Ph](PPh3)}2 (5) stereoselectively, and its distorted mu2-C,N-bound structure was determined by X-ray analysis. The reaction profiles for the isomerization of 3 includes the generation- and temperature-dependent decays of dimeric species 5 and its diastereomer 6, which strongly suggests that the intra- and intermolecular pathways are included in the C-to-N isomerization. The intramolecular process of the C-to-N isomerization of 3 has been confirmed by the kinetic studies on the isomerization of 3 with excess amount of PPh3 in benzene-d6 at 333-348 K which afford the first-order kinetics with the activation parameters of DeltaH = 121 +/- 1 kJ.mol-1 and DeltaS = 42 +/- 4 J.K-1.mol-1. Treatment of 5 with PPh3 in boiling benzene gives rise to the quantitative formation of N-bound complex 4. The controlled kinetic experiments on the cleavage of 5 with PPh3 have concluded that the cleavage of 5 with PPh3 proceeds via simultaneous C-Ru and N-Ru bond scissions, indicating the temperature-dependent participation of intermolecular process in the C-to-N isomerization of 3.