A Fluxional α-Carbonyl Diazoalkane Complex of Copper Relevant to Catalytic Cyclopropanation

Copper Complexes with Diazoolefin Ligands and their Photochemical Conversion into Alkenylidene Complexes

Homometallic copper complexes with alkenylidene ligands are discussed as intermediates in catalysis but the isolation of such complexes has remained elusive. Herein, we report the structural characterization of copper complexes with bridging and terminal alkenylidene ligands. The compounds were obtained by irradiation of Cu^I complexes with N-heterocyclic diazoolefin ligands. The complex with a terminal alkenylidene ligand required isolation in a crystalline matrix, and its structural characterization was enabled by in crystallo photolysis at low temperature.

The half-sandwich 18- and 16-electron arene ruthenium iminophosphonamide complexes

Novel arene ruthenium iminophosphonamides are electron-rich complexes due to a strong σ,π-donor zwitterionic ligand.

Copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of α-diazo esters with TMSCF3: the important role of water as a promoter

Copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of α-diazo esters with TMSCF(3) reagent has been developed as a new method to prepare α-trifluoromethyl esters. This trifluoromethylation reaction represents the first example of fluoroalkylation of a non-fluorinated carbene precursor. Water plays an important role in promoting the reaction by activating the "CuCF(3)" species prepared from CuI/TMSCF(3)/CsF (1.0:1.1:1.1). The scope of this trifluoromethylation reaction is broad, and its efficiency is demonstrated in the synthesis of a variety of aryl-, benzyl-, and alkyl-substituted 3,3,3-trifluoropropanoates.

Theoretical (DFT) insights into the mechanism of copper-catalyzed cyclopropanation reactions. Implications for enantioselective catalysis

The mechanism of the copper(I)-catalyzed cyclopropanation reaction has been extensively investigated for a medium-size reaction model by means of B3LYP/6-31G(d) calculations. The starting ethylene complex of the N,N'-dimethylmalonaldiimine--copper (I) catalyst undergoes a ligand exchange with methyl diazoacetate to yield a reaction intermediate, which subsequently undergoes nitrogen extrusion to generate a copper--carbene complex. The cyclopropanation step takes place through a direct carbene insertion of the metal--carbene species to yield a catalyst--product complex, which can finally regenerate the starting complex. The stereochemical predictions of a more realistic model (by considering a chiral bis(oxazoline)--copper (I) catalyst) have been rationalized in terms of steric repulsions, showing good agreement with experimental data.