Catalytic transmetalation from group 6 Fischer carbene complexes: an emerging powerful tool in organic synthesis

The chemistry of metal carbene complexes has experienced an enormous development in the past decades. Despite this fact, the use of transition metals as catalysts in reactions involving group 6 Fischer carbene complexes was virtually neglected. Here, we describe how the reactivity of these compounds can be enhanced or modified in the presence of catalytic amounts of a transition metal, leading to new forms of reactivity and others offering clear advantages in terms of efficiency over the uncatalyzed reactions. The key step for these reactions is the transmetalation from the stoichiometric metal carbene reagent to the catalyst. This process generates a new metal-carbene complex that leads to enhanced reactivity of new reaction modes. Two examples of Fischer carbene complexes obtained by transmetalation to Pd and Cu have been isolated during the last 2 years, showing the flexibility if the mechanistic hypothesis for these reactions. The work presented in this Account shows how an area, which was practically unexplored 5 years ago, has emerged as a new and powerful field of research.