/pdf/aryl-aryl-bond-formation-one-century-after-the-discovery-of-1jdyxlkwix.pdf

Aryl-aryl bond formation one century after the discovery of the Ullmann reaction.

In recent years, the olefin metathesis reaction has attracted widespread attention as a versatile carbon−carbon bond-forming method. Many new applications have become possible because of major advances in catalyst design. State-of-the-art ruthenium catalysts are not only highly active but also compatible with most functional groups and easy to use. This Account traces the ideas and discoveries that were instrumental in the development of these catalysts, with particular emphasis on (PCy3)2Cl2RuCHPh and its derivatives. The discussion includes an analysis of trends in catalyst activity, a description of catalysts coordinated with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands, and an overview of ongoing work to improve the activity, stability, and selectivity of this family of L2X2RuCHR complexes.

http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/j/jlichaa/reference.nsf/0/10ff8b04ff3a317885256d88005720f6/$FILE/acr-2001-34-18-metath-grubbs.pdf

The Development of L2X2RuCHR Olefin Metathesis Catalysts: An Organometallic Success Story

The biaryl structural motif is a predominant feature in many pharmaceutically relevant and biologically active compounds. As a result, for over a century 1 organic chemists have sought to develop new and more efficient aryl -aryl bond-forming methods. Although there exist a variety of routes for the construction of aryl -aryl bonds, arguably the most common method is through the use of transition-metalmediated reactions. 2-4 While earlier reports focused on the use of stoichiometric quantities of a transition metal to carry out the desired transformation, modern methods of transitionmetal-catalyzed aryl -aryl coupling have focused on the development of high-yielding reactions achieved with excellent selectivity and high functional group tolerance under mild reaction conditions. Typically, these reactions involve either the coupling of an aryl halide or pseudohalide with an organometallic reagent (Scheme 1), or the homocoupling of two aryl halides or two organometallic reagents. Although a number of improvements have developed the former process into an industrially very useful and attractive method for the construction of aryl -aryl bonds, the need still exists for more efficient routes whereby the same outcome is accomplished, but with reduced waste and in fewer steps. In particular, the obligation to use coupling partners that are both activated is wasteful since it necessitates the installation and then subsequent disposal of stoichiometric activating agents. Furthermore, preparation of preactivated aryl substrates often requires several steps, which in itself can be a time-consuming and economically inefficient process.

http://aether.cmi.ua.ac.be/artikels/Artikels%20Gitte/Artikels/Reviews/Heck-Type-lautens.pdf

Aryl-aryl bond formation by transition-metal-catalyzed direct arylation.

The successful isolation and characterization of an N-heterocyclic carbene in 1991 opened up a new class of organic compounds for investigation. From these beginnings as academic curiosities, N-heterocyclic carbenes today rank among the most powerful tools in organic chemistry, with numerous applications in commercially important processes. Here we provide a concise overview of N-heterocyclic carbenes in modern chemistry, summarizing their general properties and uses and highlighting how these features are being exploited in a selection of pioneering recent studies.

An overview of N-heterocyclic carbenes

The site-selective formation of carbon-carbon bonds through direct functionalizations of otherwise unreactive carbon-hydrogen bonds constitutes an economically attractive strategy for an overall streamlining of sustainable syntheses. In recent decades, intensive research efforts have led to the development of various reaction conditions for challenging C-H bond functionalizations, among which transition-metal-catalyzed transformations arguably constitute thus far the most valuable tool. For instance, the use of inter alia palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, copper, or iron complexes set the stage for chemo-, site-, diastereo-, and/or enantioselective C-H bond functionalizations. Key to success was generally a detailed mechanistic understanding of the elementary C-H bond metalation step, which depending on the nature of the metal fragment can proceed via several distinct reaction pathways. Traditionally, three different modes of action were primarily considered for CH bond metalations, namely, (i) oxidative addition with electronrich late transition metals, (ii) σ-bond metathesis with early transition metals, and (iii) electrophilic activation with electrondeficient late transition metals (Scheme 1). However, more recent mechanistic studies indicated the existence of a continuum of electrophilic, ambiphilic, and nucleophilic interactions. Within this continuum, detailed experimental and computational analysis provided strong evidence for novel C-H bond metalationmechanisms relying on the assistance of a bifunctional ligand bearing an additional Lewis-basic heteroatom, such as that found in (heteroatom-substituted) secondary phosphine oxides or most prominently carboxylates (Scheme 1, iv). This novel insight into the nature of stoichiometric metalations has served as stimulus for the development of novel transformations based on cocatalytic amounts of carboxylates, which significantly broadened the scope of C-H bond functionalizations in recent years, with most remarkable progress being made in palladiumor ruthenium-catalyzed direct arylations and direct alkylations. These carboxylate-assisted C-H bond transformations were mostly proposed to proceed via a mechanism in which metalation takes place via a concerted base-assisted deprotonation. To mechanistically differentiate these intramolecular metalations new acronyms have recently been introduced into the literature, such as CMD (concerted metalationdeprotonation), IES (internal electrophilic substitution), or AMLA (ambiphilic metal ligand activation), which describe related mechanisms and will be used below where appropriate. This review summarizes the development and scope of carboxylates as cocatalysts in transition-metal-catalyzed C-H functionalizations until autumn 2010. Moreover, experimental and computational studies on stoichiometric metalation reactions being of relevance to the mechanism of these catalytic processes are discussed as well. Mechanistically related C-H bond cleavage reactions with ruthenium or iridium complexes bearing monodentate ligands are, however, only covered with respect to their working mode, and transformations with stoichiometric amounts of simple acetate bases are solely included when their mechanism was suggested to proceed by acetate-assisted metalation.

Carboxylate-assisted transition-metal-catalyzed C-H bond functionalizations: mechanism and scope.

The reaction of [Cp*RuCl]4 (1; Cp* = η5-C5Me5) with the carbene ligand 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) affords a coordinatively unsaturated Cp*Ru(IMes)Cl (3) complex in 86% isolated yield. Solution calorimetric results in this system provide information concerning the electron donor properties of the carbene ligand, which are very similar to those of PCy3. Structural information from single-crystal X-ray studies for complex 3 allows the determination of steric parameters associated with this ligand. The thermochemical information is used to predict the magnitude of the enthalpic driving force behind substitution reactions involving RuCl2(C(H)Ph)(PCy3)2 (1) and the carbene ligand, IMes, affording the RuCl2(C(H)Ph)(PCy3)(IMes) (6) complex in high yield. A similar mixed carbene/phosphine ruthenium complex, RuCl2(C(H)Ph)(PPh3)(IMes), can also be isolated from RuCl2(C(H)Ph)(PPh3)2 and the IMes ligand. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study has been performed on 6. The thermal stabilit...

Olefin Metathesis-Active Ruthenium Complexes Bearing a Nucleophilic Carbene Ligand

Clear experimental evidence from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and 31P NMR spectroscopy has been obtained for the first time to confirm that the combination of Ag+ cation with [L-Au]+ results in the formation of different complexes in solution. Re-evaluation of literature-reported gold-catalyzed reactions revealed a significant difference in the reactivities with and without silver. In extreme cases (more than “rare”), the conventional [L-Au]+ catalysts could not promote the reaction without the presence of silver. This investigation has therefore revealed a long-overlooked “silver effect” in gold catalysis and should lead to revision of the actual mechanism.

"Silver effect" in gold(I) catalysis: an overlooked important factor.

A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study Examining the Binding of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHC) to the Cp*RuCl (Cp* = η5-C5Me5) Moiety: Insight into Stereoelectronic Differences between Unsaturated and Saturated NHC Ligands

A series of 1,2,3-triazole-bound cationic Au(I) catalysts have been synthesized, and their structures have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. Variable-temperature NMR studies revealed dynamic triazole−Au cation coordination in solution. Reaction profiles clearly indicated that these new catalysts possess much better thermal stability than literature-reported Au catalysts, including IPrAu·NTf2. By application of these catalysts, challenging intermolecular hydroaminations were achieved with less-reactive internal alkynes and unprotected aliphatic amines, giving excellent yields with low catalyst loading.

Jeffrey L. Petersen

Papers

Olefin Metathesis-Active Ruthenium Complexes Bearing a Nucleophilic Carbene Ligand

"Silver effect" in gold(I) catalysis: an overlooked important factor.

A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study Examining the Binding of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHC) to the CpRuCl (Cp = η5-C5Me5) Moiety: Insight into Stereoelectronic Differences between Unsaturated and Saturated NHC Ligands

Triazole−Au(I) Complexes: A New Class of Catalysts with Improved Thermal Stability and Reactivity for Intermolecular Alkyne Hydroamination

N-Pyrrolyl Phosphines: An Unexploited Class of Phosphine Ligands with Exceptional .pi.-Acceptor Character