Insertions into Azatitanacyclobutenes: New Insights into Three-Component Coupling Reactions Involving Imidotitanium Intermediates

Relevant Developments in the Use of Three-Component Reactions for the Total Synthesis of Natural Products. The last 15 Years

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) offer a highly useful and valuable strategy that can fulfill an important role in synthesizing complex polysubstituted compounds, by simplifying otherwise long sequences and increasing their efficiency. The total synthesis of selected natural products employing three-component reactions as their common strategic MCR approach, is reviewed on a case-by-case basis with selected targets conquered during the last 15 years. The revision includes detailed descriptions of the selected successful sequences; relevant information on the isolation, and bioactivity of the different natural targets is also briefly provided.

Carbene-Like Reactivity in an Iron Azametallacyclobutene Complex: Insights from Electronic Structure

Herein we describe our investigation into the electronic structure of the first isolated monometallic iron azametallacyclobutene complex. Computational analysis through density functional theory calculations reveals electron delocalization throughout the four atoms of the ring system, in line with experimental observations and supporting the classification of this complex as a conjugated metallacycle. The results of this study also point to significant contribution from an imine-substituted iron carbene resonance structure to the overall bonding picture for the azametallacyclobutene. Accordingly, this complex participates in carbene-like reactivity in the presence of an isocyanide substrate to generate a ketenimine product. The related reaction with carbon monoxide leads to the isolation of a five-membered metallacycle that is analogous to the proposed intermediate in ketenimine formation, and confirms the α-carbon as the site of reactivity.

Catalyst design insights from modelling a titanium-catalyzed multicomponent reaction

High oxidation state transition metal catalysis touches our daily lives through bulk chemical production, e.g. olefin polymerization, and through specialty chemical reactions common in organic synthesis, e.g. the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and olefin dihydroxylation. Our group has been expanding the reaction chemistry of titanium(iv) to produce a host of nitrogen-based heterocycles via multicomponent coupling reactions. One such multicomponent coupling reaction discovered in our laboratory is iminoamination, involving an amine, an alkyne, and an isonitrile. However, the experimental modeling of high oxidation state reactions lags far behind that of low oxidation state systems, where a great deal is known about ligands, their donor properties and how their structures affect catalysis. As a result, we have developed an experimental method for determining the donor abilities of anionic ligands on high oxidation state systems, which is based on the chromium(vi) nitride system NCr(NiPr2)2X, where X = the ligand being interrogated. The parameters obtained are simply called ligand donor parameters (LDP). In this contribution, a detailed optimization of the Ti(NMe2)2(dpm)-catalyzed iminoamination reaction was carried out, where dpm = 5,5-dimethyldipyrrolylmethane. During the course of these studies, dimeric {Ti(μ-N-tolyl)(dpm)}2 was isolated, which is proposed as the resting state of the catalyst. To destabilize this resting state, a more electron-rich bis(aryloxide) catalyst system was investigated. The more electron-rich system is somewhat more active for iminoamination under some conditions; however, the catalyst is prone to disproportionation. A study of heteroleptic titanium complexes revealed that the disproportionation equilibrium constant can be effectively modeled as a function of the square of the difference in LDP between the ligands, (ΔLDP)2. Using this methodology, one can estimate the stability of titanium complexes toward disproportionation.

A silica-supported titanium catalyst for heterogeneous hydroamination and multicomponent coupling reactions

Highly dehydrated silica gel, SiO₂⁷⁰⁰, gave a material with a total surface hydroxyl density of 0.31 ± 0.05 mmol g^-1, 0.9 ± 0.1 Si-OH sites per nm². Treatment of this material with Ti(NMe₂)₄ gave Ti(NMe₂)₃/SiO₂⁷⁰⁰, which is 1.50% ± 0.07 Ti, where the titanium is bound to the surface, on average, through a single O-Si-Ti linkage. This material was tested for its properties as a catalyst for C-N bond forming reactions and was found to be a competent alkyne hydroamination and iminoamination catalyst. For iminoamination, which is the 3-component coupling of an alkyne, primary amine, and isonitrile, this heterogeneous catalyst was able to carry out some catalyses faster than previously reported homogeneous catalysts with lower catalyst loadings. The material is also a catalyst for the addition of aniline to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to form a substituted guanidine. In addition, a known quinoline with biological activity was prepared using the heterogeneous catalyst in a one-pot procedure using half the catalyst loading of the previously reported synthesis.

Titanium-catalyzed multicomponent couplings: efficient one-pot syntheses of nitrogen heterocycles

Nitrogen-based heterocycles are important frameworks for pharmaceuticals, natural products, organic dyes for solar cells, and many other applications. Catalysis for the formation of heterocyclic scaffolds, like many C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions, has focused on the use of rare, late transition metals like palladium and gold. Our group is interested in the use of Earth-abundant catalysts based on titanium to generate heterocycles using multicomponent coupling strategies, often in one-pot reactions. To be of maximal utility, the catalysts need to be easily prepared from inexpensive reagents, and that has been one guiding principle in the research. For this purpose, a series of easily prepared pyrrole-based ligands has been developed. Titanium imido complexes are known to catalyze the hydroamination of alkynes, and this reaction has been used to advantage in the production of α,β-unsaturated imines from 1,3-enynes and pyrroles from 1,4-diynes. Likewise, catalyst design can be used to find complexes applicable to hydrohydrazination, coupling of a hydrazine and alkyne, which is a method for the production of hydrazones. Many of the hydrazones synthesized are converted to indoles through Fischer cyclization by addition of a Lewis acid. However, more complex products are available in a single catalytic cycle through coupling of isonitriles, primary amines, and alkynes to give tautomers of 1,3-diimines, iminoamination (IA). The products of IA are useful intermediates for the one-pot synthesis of pyrazoles, pyrimidines, isoxazoles, quinolines, and 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines. The regioselectivity of the reactions is elucidated in some detail for some of these heterocycles. The 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines are synthesized through isolable intermediates, 1,2-dihydro-2-iminopyridines, which undergo Dimroth rearrangement driven by aromatization of the pyridine ring; the proposed mechanism of the reaction is discussed. The IA-based heterocyclic syntheses can be accomplished start to finish (catalyst generation to heterocyclic synthesis) in a single vessel. The catalyst can be formed in situ from commercially available Ti(NMe2)4 and the protonated form of the ligand. Then, the primary amine, alkyne, and isonitrile are added to the flask, and the IA product is synthesized. The volatiles are removed (if necessary), and the next reagent is added. A brief video showing the process for the simple heterocycle 4-phenylpyrazole from phenylacetylene, cyclohexylamine, tert-butylisonitrile, and hydrazine hydrate is included. Further development in this field will unlock new, efficient reactions for the production of carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bonds. As an example of such a process recently discovered, a catalyst for the regioselective production of pyrazoles in a single step from terminal alkynes, hydrazines, and cyclohexylisonitrile is discussed. Using titanium catalysis, many heterocyclic cores can be accessed easily and efficiently. Further, the early metal chemistry described is often orthogonal to late metal-based reactions, which use substrates like aryl halides, silyl groups, boryl groups, and so forth. As a result, earth-abundant and nontoxic titanium can fulfill important roles in the synthesis of useful classes of compounds like heterocycles.

Catalytic formal [2+2+1] synthesis of pyrroles from alkynes and diazenes via Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalysis

Pyrroles are structurally important heterocycles. However, the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles is often challenging. Here, we report a multicomponent, Ti-catalysed formal [2+2+1] reaction of alkynes and diazenes for the oxidative synthesis of penta- and trisubstituted pyrroles: a nitrenoid analogue to classical Pauson-Khand-type syntheses of cyclopentenones. Given the scarcity of early transition-metal redox catalysis, preliminary mechanistic studies are presented. Initial stoichiometric and kinetic studies indicate that the mechanism of this reaction proceeds through a formally Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalytic cycle, in which an azatitanacyclobutene intermediate, resulting from [2+2] alkyne + Ti imido coupling, undergoes a second alkyne insertion followed by reductive elimination to yield pyrrole and a Ti(II) species. The key component for catalytic turnover is the reoxidation of the Ti(II) species to a Ti(IV) imido via the disproportionation of an η(2)-diazene-Ti(II) complex.

Regioselective [2+2] and [4+2] cycloaddition reactivity in an asymmetric niobium(bisimido) moiety towards unsaturated organic molecules

The asymmetric bis-imido structure and the lability of the diethyl ether linkage in complex 1 provide a niobium complex that undergoes regioselective [4+2] cycloaddition reactions with an α,β-unsaturated ketone and cycloaddition reactions that involve bond formation to the MAD ligand (MAD = monoazabutadiene).

Zirconium complexes supported by an N-perfluoro-arylated diamidopyridyl ligand: synthesis of hydrazinediido complexes

The N-perfluoro-phenylated pyridyldiamine H2N2(PFP)N(py) (1) has been prepared by a palladium-catalyzed coupling of hexafluorobenzene and the diamine (H2NCH2)2C(CH3)(2-C5H4N) using the palladacycle trans-di(μ-acetato)bis[o-(di-o-tolylphosphino)benzyl]palladium(II) as catalyst. Reactions of H2N2(PFP)N(py) and Zr(NMe2)4 at room temperature or 90 °C led to the complexes [(N(PFP)N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrF(NMe2)] (2) and [(N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrF2] (3) in which one or two dimethylamido groups replaced one or two ortho fluorine atoms of the pentafluorophenyl groups in the ligand. Reaction of Me3SiX (X = Cl, I) with [(N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrF2] (3) resulted in the formation of mixed halogenated complexes [(N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrFI] (4) and [(N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrFCl] (5) in which the axially bound fluorido ligand is substituted. Reaction of [(N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrF2] (3) with LiNHNPh2 afforded the monohydrazido(1-) complex [(N2(TFAP)N(py))ZrF(NHNPh2)] (6) which was converted to the dimeric fluoro-potassium bridged hydrazinediido complex [Zr(N2(TFAP)N(py))FNNPh2K]2 (7) using KHMDS. The corresponding reaction with LiHMDS yielded the monomeric, donor free complex [Zr(N2(TFAP)N(py))NNPh2] (8).

Synthesis and structural studies of amido, hydrazido and imido zirconium(IV) complexes incorporating a diamido/diamine cyclam-based ligand

The preparation, characterisation and structural analysis of a series of zirconium(IV) complexes that incorporate the diamido/diamine macrocyclic ligand Bn2Cyclam (Bn2Cyclam = 1,8-dibenzyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) are described. The reaction of one or two equivalents of the appropriate LiNHR reagents with [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrCl2] give the corresponding amido-chloride [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrCl(NHR)] (R = tBu, (2,6-iPr)Ph) or bis(amido) [(Bn2Cyclam)Zr(NHR)2] (R = iPr, tBu, (2,6-Me)Ph) complexes, respectively. Treatment of [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrCl(NH(2,6-iPr)Ph)] with one equiv. of MgClMe gives the base-free, monomeric imido complex [(Bn2Cyclam)Zr(N(2,6-iPr)Ph)]. The reaction of the tBu analog with MgClMe generates a dimeric bridging imido species [{(Bn2Cyclam)Zr}2(mu-NR)2], which can also be obtained by thermal decomposition of [(Bn2Cyclam)Zr(NHtBu)2] in toluene. The bis(hydrazido) complex [(Bn2Cyclam)Zr(NHNPh2)2] was obtained by reaction of [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrCl2] and two equiv. of LiNHNPh2. A hydrazido-chloride compound [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrCl(N(Ph)NBu(Ph))] was generated in a one-pot reaction between [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrCl2], LiBu and azobenzene. DFT calculations on [(Bn2Cyclam)ZrXY] complexes indicate that the coordination geometry adopted by these species is dictated by the steric bulk of the ligands X and Y, varying between six-coordinate prismatic and four-coordinate tetrahedral.