No abstract

2,5-Disubstituted oxazoles are synthesized from the corresponding propargylcarboxamides under mild reaction conditions via homogeneous catalysis by AuCl(3). While monitoring the conversion via (1)H NMR spectroscopy, an intermediate 5-methylene-4,5-dihydrooxazole can be observed and accumulated up to 95%, being the first direct and catalytic preparative access to such alkylidene oxazolines. The intermediate was fully characterized and can be trapped at -25 degrees C for several weeks. Deuteration experiments show a stereospecific mode of the two first steps of the reaction.

A comparison of the molecular structures of mono-, di- and tetraborylated ferrocenes [Fc{B(R(1))(R(2))}] (R(1)/R(2)=Br/Br, Br/Fc, Br/Me, Me/Me, Me/OH, OMe/OMe), 1,1'-[fc{B(R(1))(R(2))}(2)] (R(1)/R(2)=Br/Br, Br/Me, OMe/OMe), and 1,1',3,3'-[Fe{C(5)H(3)(BMe(2))(2)}(2)] revealed the boryl substituent(s) to be bent out of the Cp ring plane towards the iron center. The corresponding dip angle alpha* decreases with decreasing Lewis acidity of the boron atom and with increasing degree of borylation at the ferrocene core. This trend is well reproduced by DFT calculations (including [FcBH(2)], not yet accessible experimentally). A Bader analysis of the electron density topology of [FcBH(2)] (alpha*=26.5 degrees ; BP86/TZVP) clearly showed that there is no direct iron-boron bonding in this compound. Instead, strongly delocalized orbital interactions have been identified that involve the boron p orbital, C(ipso) of the adjacent Cp ring, d orbitals at iron, and a through-space interaction with the second Cp ring. A second important factor is attractive electrostatic interactions, which are enhanced upon ligand bending. Cyclic voltammetric measurements on the series [FcBMe(2)], 1,1'-[fc(BMe(2))(2)], and 1,1',3,3'-[Fe{C(5)H(3)(BMe(2))(2)}(2)] indicate a substantial anodic shift in the oxidation potential of the central iron atom upon introduction of BMe(2) substituents. Addition of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) does not just counterbalance this effect, but leads to a cathodic shift of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox transition far beyond the half-wave potential of parent ferrocene. In the Mossbauer spectra, a continuous decrease in the quadrupole splitting (QS) is observed upon going from parent ferrocene to [FcBMe(2)], to 1,1'-[fc(BMe(2))(2)], and to 1,1',3,3'-[Fe{C(5)H(3)(BMe(2))(2)}(2)]. In contrast, no significant differences are found between the QS values of ferrocene, [Fc(BMe(2)-DMAP)], and 1,1'-[fc(BMe(2)-DMAP)(2)].

The substrate scope, the mechanistic aspects of the gold-catalyzed oxazole synthesis, and substrates with different aliphatic, aromatic, and functional groups in the side chain were investigated. Even molecules with several propargyl amide groups could easily be converted, delivering di- and trioxazoles with interesting optical properties. Furthermore, the scope of the gold(I)-catalyzed alkylidene synthesis was investigated. Further functionalizations of these isolable intermediates of the oxazole synthesis were developed and chelate ligands can be obtained. The use of Barluenga's reagent offers a new and mild access to the synthetically valuable iodoalkylideneoxazoles from propargylic amides, this reagent being superior to other sources of halogens.

Products of an oxidative coupling were obtained in the gold(III)‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of tertiary allenyl carbinols. The absence of reduced organic products and an increase of these coupling products with the amount of gold(III) catalyst suggests that gold(III) is reduced in situ, possibly to gold(I) catalysts which were also shown to be active for these transformations. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)

Reaction of the cationic binuclear gold(I) complex [(Ph 3 PAu) 2 Cl]BF 4 with w-alkynylfurans furnished phenols as the major product and anellated furans as the side-products. The analogous trimesitylphosphane complex [(Mes 3 PAu) 2 Cl]BF 4 selectively afforded only the phenols. The latter catalyst then enabled the first intermolecular gold-catalyzed phenol synthesis.

The second phase of the gold-catalyzed phenol synthesis, the ring opening of the intermediate arene oxide, follows general acid catalysis. The product selectivity is determined by the substrate only and can be explained by the stability of the intermediate arenium ions. Thus, even remote substitutents can be used to control the chemoselectivity of the overall reaction by electronic influences and their influence is stronger than the steric influence of neighboring substituents. This is supported by quantum chemical calculations of the intermediates. The lack of exchange of deuterium labels excludes even equilibria with acetylide or vinylidene intermediates and the observed deuterium distribution in the final products is in accord with the NIH-shift reaction. In addition, these findings now explain previously obtained results.

The scope of the palladium-catalyzed cyclization/dimerization of terminal allenyl ketones 1 to the 2,4-disubstituted furans 3 has been investigated. Simplified and improved conditions almost exclusively provided the dimer 3, accompanied by only traces of the easily separable monomer 2. The formation of an isomer of 3, the unconjugated ketone 4, was completeley suppressed. Under these mild conditions, besides the normal functional group tolerance known for palladium-catalyzed reactions, an interesting selectivity was observed with functional groups that are known to react either in palladium-catalyzed reactions or reactions catalyzed by other transition-metals. Thus aryl halides, terminal alkynes, 1,6-enynes, and alpha-allenic alcohols were tolerated. In the latter example the selective reaction of only one out of two different allenes was achieved. Mechanistic investigation indicated a Pd(II)/Pd(IV)-cycle involving palladium(II)-gamma-alkoxyvinylcarbene and furylpalladium(IV) hydride intermediates, although a second pathway for the formation of the dimer 3 which also involves Pd(IV)-intermediates like the 3,4-dimethylenepalladacyclopentane 23 and the 3-methylenepalladacyclobutane-like structure 15 (respectively 25) could not completely be excluded.