Tandem Cyclization in Ruthenium Vinylidene Complexes with Two Ester Groups

Reactions of Ruthenium Complexes Containing Pentatetraenylidene Ligand

Two ruthenium acetylide complexes [Ru]-C≡C-C≡C-C(OR)(C₃ H₅ )₂ (2, R=H and 2 a, R=CH₃ ; [Ru]=Cp(PPh₃ )₂ Ru) each with two cyclopropyl rings were synthesized from TMS-C≡C-C≡C-C(OH)(C₃ H₅ )₂ (1; TMS=trimethylsilyl). Treatments of 2 and 2 a with allyl halide in the presence of KPF₆ afforded the vinylidene complexes 3 and 3 a, respectively. When NH₄ PF₆ was used, instead of KPF₆ , additional ring-opening reaction took place on one of the three-membered ring. Treatment of [Ru]Cl with 1,3-butadiyne (6), bearing an epoxide ring, afforded acetylide complex 7 with a furyl ring. Treatment of 2 a with Ph₃ CPF₆ presumably afforded pentatetraenylidene complex {[Ru]=C=C=C=C=C(C₃ H₅ )₂ }[PF₆ ] (10), which was not isolated. Additions of various alcohols in a solution of 10 generated a number of disubstituted allenylidene complexes {[Ru]=C=C=C(OR)-C=C(C₃ H₅ )₂ }[PF₆ ] (11). Treatment of 11 with K₂ CO₃ afforded the acetylide complex 12 bearing a carbonyl group, characterized by single X-ray diffraction analysis. Addition of a primary amine to 10 caused cleavage of the farthermost C=C bond and several allenylidene complexes {[Ru]=C=C=C(Me)(NHR)}[PF₆ ] (18) were isolated.

Reactions of a Ruthenium Complex with Substituted N-Propargyl Pyrroles

In an investigation into the chemical reactions of N-propargyl pyrroles 1 a-c, containing aldehyde, keto, and ester groups on the pyrrole ring, with [Ru]-Cl ([Ru]=Cp(PPh3 )2 Ru; Cp=C5 H5 ), an aldehyde group in the pyrrole ring is found to play a crucial role in stimulating the cyclization reaction. The reaction of 1 a, containing an aldehyde group, with [Ru]-Cl in the presence of NH4 PF6 yields the vinylidene complex 2 a, which further reacts with allyl amine to give the carbene complex 6 a with a pyrrolizine group. However, if 1 a is first reacted with allyl amine to yield the iminenyne 8 a, then the reaction of 8 a with [Ru]-Cl in the presence of NH4 PF6 yields the ruthenium complex 9 a, containing a cationic pyrrolopyrazinium group, which has been fully characterized by XRD analysis. These results can be adequately explained by coordination of the triple bond of the propargyl group to the ruthenium metal center first, followed by two processes, that is, formation of a vinylidene intermediate or direct nucleophilic attack. Additionally, the deprotonation of 2 a by R4 NOH yields the neutral acetylide complex 3 a. In the presence of NH4 PF6 , the attempted alkylation of 3 a resulted in the formation the Fischer-type amino-carbene complex 5 a as a result of the presence of NH3, which served as a nucleophile. With KPF6, the alkylation of 3 a with ethyl and benzyl bromoacetates afforded the disubstituted vinylidene complexes 10 a and 11 a, containing ester groups, which underwent deprotonation reactions to give the furyl complexes 12 a and 13 a, respectively. For 13 a, containing an O-benzyl group, subsequent 1,3-migration of the benzyl group was observed to yield product 14 a with a lactone unit. Similar reactivity was not observed for the corresponding N-propargyl pyrroles 1 b and 1 c, which contained keto and ester groups, respectively, on the pyrrole ring.