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Updated: Dec 6, 2025

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A Dinickel Catalyzed Cyclopropanation without the Formation of a Metal Carbene Intermediate
Arnab K Maity1, Annah E Kalb1, Matthias Zeller1
1Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Abstract:
(NDI)Ni2 catalysts (NDI=naphthyridine-diimine) promote cyclopropanation reactions of 1,3-dienes using (Me3 Si)CHN2 . Mechanistic studies reveal that a metal carbene intermediate is not part of the catalytic cycle. The (NDI)Ni2 (CHSiMe3 ) complex was independently synthesized and found to be unreactive toward dienes. Based on DFT models, we propose an alternative mechanism that begins with a Ni2 -mediated coupling of (Me3 Si)CHN2 and the diene. N2 extrusion followed by radical C-C bond formation generates the cyclopropane product. This model reproduces the experimentally observed regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity of the reaction.
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