Rendering Schrock-type Molybdenum Alkylidene Complexes Air Stable: User-Friendly Precatalysts for Alkene Metathesis

A matter of convenience: Schrock molybdenum alkylidenes are amongst the most powerful olefin metathesis catalysts known to date, but their sensitivity to air and moisture mandates their handling in a glove-box or by Schlenk techniques. This inconvenience is circumvented by using the corresponding phenanthroline- or bipyridine adducts, which are bench-stable and hence very user-friendly. The active species can be liberated from these precatalysts in uncompromised form on treatment with ZnCl2 in toluene

Optimized Synthesis, Structural Investigations, Ligand Tuning and Synthetic Evaluation of Silyloxy-Based Alkyne Metathesis Catalysts

Nitride- and alkylidyne complexes of molybdenum endowed with triarylsilanolate ligands are excellent (pre)catalysts for alkyne-metathesis reactions of all sorts, since they combine high activity with an outstanding tolerance toward polar and/or sensitive functional groups. Structural and reactivity data suggest that this promising application profile results from a favorable match between the characteristics of the high-valent molybdenum center and the electronic and steric features of the chosen Ar3SiO groups. This interplay ensures a well-balanced level of Lewis acidity at the central atom, which is critical for high activity. Moreover, the bulky silanolates, while disfavoring bimolecular decomposition of the operative alkylidyne unit, do not obstruct substrate binding. In addition, Ar3SiO groups have the advantage that they are more stable within the coordination sphere of a high-valent molybdenum center than tert-alkoxides, which commonly served as ancillary ligands in previous generations of alkyne metathesis catalysts. From a practical point of view it is important to note that complexes of the general type [(Ar3SiO)3MoΞX] (X = N, CR; R = aryl, alkyl, Ar = aryl) can be rendered air-stable with the aid of 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2′-bipyridine or derivatives thereof. Although the resulting adducts are themselves catalytically inert, treatment with Lewis acidic additives such as ZnCl2 or MnCl2 removes the stabilizing N-donor ligand and gently releases the catalytically active template into the solution. This procedure gives excellent results in alkyne metathesis starting from air-stable and hence user-friendly precursor complexes. The thermal and hydrolytic stability of representative molybdenum alkylidyne and -nitride complexes of this series was investigated and the structure of several decomposition products elucidated

Practical New Silyloxy-Based Alkyne Metathesis Catalysts with Optimized Activity and Selectivity Profiles

Triphenylsilanolate ligands were found to impart excellent reactivity and outstanding functional group tolerance on molybdenum alkylidyne complexes, which catalyze alkyne metathesis reactions of all sorts. The active species either can be obtained in high yield by adaptation of the established synthesis routes leading to Schrock alkylidynes or can be generated in situ from the molybdenum nitride complex 11, which itself is readily accessible in large quantity from inexpensive sodium molybdate. Complexation of the active silanolate complexes 12 and 24 with 1,10-phenanthroline affords complexes 15 and 25, respectively, which are stable in air for extended periods of time. Although these phenathroline adducts are per se unreactive vis-à-vis alkynes, catalytic activity is conveniently restored upon exposure to MnCl2. Therefore, the practitioner has the choice of different alkyne metathesis (pre)catalysts, which are easy to handle yet broadly applicable and exceedingly tolerant. A host of representative inter- as well as intramolecular alkyne metathesis reactions, including applications to a considerable number of bioactive and, in part, labile natural products, shows the remarkable scope of these new tools. Moreover, it was found that the addition of molecular sieves (5 Å ≥ 4 Å ≫ 3 Å) to the reaction mixture significantly improves the chemical yields while simultaneously increasing the reaction rates. This benefit is ascribed to effective binding of 2-butyne, which is released as the common byproduct in reactions of alkynes bearing a methyl end-cap. Thus, alkyne metatheses can now be performed at ambient temperature with neither the need to apply vacuum to drive the conversion nor recourse to tailor-made substrates. The structures of representative examples of this new generation of alkyne metathesis catalysts in the solid state were determined by X-ray analysis

Oxygenated metabolites of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as potential oxidative stress biomarkers: total synthesis of 8-F3t-IsoP, 10-F4t-NeuroP and [D4]-10-F4t-NeuroP.

A wide variety of metabolic products of polyunsaturated fatty acids is of paramount importance for improving our medical knowledge in the field of oxidized lipids. Two novel metabolites of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, 8-F_3t-IsoP and 10-F_4t-NeuroP as well as a deuterated derivative thereof were synthesized based on an acetylenic intermediate. An original approach achieved lateral chain insertion of 8-F_3t-IsoP by a ring-closing alkyne metathesis/semi-reduction strategy together with a temporary tether

Cyclohexylcarbonitriles: Diastereoselective Arylations with TMPZnCl·LiCl

Deprotonating substituted cyclohexanecarbonitriles with TMPZnCl·LiCl affords zincated nitriles that diastereoselectively couple with aryl bromides in the presence of catalytic Pd­(OAc)₂ and S-Phos. Steric and electronic effects influence the diastereoselectivity; 4-<i>t</i>-butyl-, 4-TBSO-, and 2-Me-cyclohexanecarbonitriles exert virtually complete diastereocontrol whereas modest diastereoselectivity is observed with 4-<i>i</i>-Pr-, 4-Me-, and 3-Me-cyclohexanecarbonitriles. The unusual diastereoselectivity trends should prove useful for synthesizing substituted cyclohexanecarbonitrile-containing pharmaceuticals

Bipyridine Adducts of Molybdenum Imido Alkylidene and Imido Alkylidyne Complexes

Seven bipyridine adducts of molybdenum imido alkylidene bispyrrolide complexes of the type Mo(NR)(CHCMe[subscript 2]R′)(Pyr)[subscript 2](bipy) (1a–1g; R = 2,6-i-Pr[subscript 2]C[subscript 6]H[subscript 3] (Ar), adamantyl (Ad), 2,6-Me[subscript 2]C[subscript 6]H[subscript 3] (Ar′), 2-i-PrC[subscript 6]H[subscript 4] (Ar[superscript iPr]), 2-ClC[subscript 6]H[subscript 4] (Ar[superscript Cl]), 2-t-BuC[subscript 6]H[subscript 4] (Ar[superscript tBu]), and 2-MesitylC[subscript 6]H[subscript 4] (Ar[superscript M]), respectively; R′ = Me, Ph) have been prepared using three different methods. Up to three isomers of the adducts are observed that are proposed to be the trans- and two possible cis-pyrrolide isomers of syn-alkylidenes. Sonication of a mixture containing 1a–1g, HMTOH (2,6-dimesitylphenol), and ZnCl[subscript 2](dioxane) led to the formation of MAP species of the type Mo(NR)(CHCMe[subscript 2]R′)(Pyr)(OHMT) (3a–3g). DCMNBD (2,3-dicarbomethoxynorbornadiene) is polymerized employing 3a–3g as initiators to yield >98% cis,syndiotactic poly(DCMNBD). Attempts to prepare bipy adducts of bisdimethylpyrrolide complexes led to the formation of imido alkylidyne complexes of the type Mo(NR)(CCMe[subscript 2]R′)(Me[subscript 2]Pyr)(bipy) (Me[subscript 2]Pyr = 2,5-dimethylpyrrolide; 4a–4g) through a ligand-induced migration of an alkylidene α proton to a dimethylpyrrolide ligand. X-ray structures of Mo(NAr)(CHCMe[subscript 2]Ph)(Pyr)[subscript 2](bipy) (1a), Mo(NAr[superscript iPr])(CHCMe[subscript 2]Ph)(Pyr)(OHMT) (3d), Mo(NAr)(CCMe[subscript 2]Ph)(Me[subscript 2]Pyr)(bipy) (4a), the NAr′ analog of 4a (4c), and Mo(NAr[superscript T])(CCMe[subscript 3])(Me[subscript 2]Pyr)(bipy) (Ar[superscript T] = 2-(2,4,6-i-Pr[subscript 3]C[subscript 6]H[subscript 2])C[subscript 6]H[subscript 4]; 4g) showed normal bond lengths and angles.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CHE-0841187)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CHE-1111133)United States. Dept. of Energy (DE-FG02-86ER13564)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (GM-59426

Microwave alkylation of lithium tetrazolate

N1-substituted tetrazoles are interesting ligands in transition metal coordination chemistry, especially in the field of spin crossover. Their synthesis is performed in most cases according to the Franke-synthesis, using a primary amine as reagent introducing the substitution pattern. To enhance flexibility in means of substrate scope, we developed a new protocol based on alkylation of lithium tetrazolate with alkyl bromides. The N1–N2 isomerism of the tetrazole during the alkylation was successfully suppressed by use of highly pure lithium tetrazolate and 30 vol.% aqueous ethanol as solvent, leading to pure N1-substituted products. The feasibility of this reaction was demonstrated by a selection of different substrates.Austrian Science Fund (FWF