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Synthesis of Hypervalent Iodonium Alkynyl Triflates for the Application of Generating Cyanocarbenes
Published on: September 8, 2013
Iron-Catalyzed trans-Hydrostannation of Terminal Alkynes
Soumyadeep Chakrabortty1, Alois Fürstner1
1Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim/Ruhr, 45470, Germany.
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The readily accessible iron complex [Cp*FeCl(tmeda)] is an effective catalyst for the highly regio- and stereoselective trans-hydrostannylation of terminal alkyl alkynes, affording a type of alkenylstannanes that is difficult to make otherwise. The R3Sn- moiety is faithfully delivered to the terminal C-atom, unless a propargylic or homo-propargylic ─OH or ─NH2 group is present in the substrate, which (partly or fully) inverts the regiochemical course; this steering effect, however, can be switched off upon protection of the protic site. The trans-addition likely starts by insertion of the [Cp*FeCl] fragment into the R3Sn─H bond, followed by a migratory insertion of the ligated alkyne into the Fe─Sn unit of the Fe(IV) species thus formed. This "modified Chalk-Harrod" mechanism is manifested in a stannylative cyclization of 1,6-enyne derivatives, which has hardly any precedent either; a pathway via iron vinylidene intermediates can be excluded on the basis of deuterium labeling experiments.
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Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation
One of the convenient methods for the preparation of aldehydes and ketones is via hydration of alkynes. Hydroboration-oxidation of alkynes is an indirect hydration reaction in which an alkyne is treated with borane followed by oxidation with alkaline peroxide to form an enol that rapidly converts into an aldehyde or a ketone. Terminal alkynes form aldehydes, whereas internal alkynes give ketones as the final product.
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Hydrohalogenation
Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction
Alkylation of terminal alkynes with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide is one of the common methods for the synthesis of longer carbon-chain alkynes. For example, treatment of 1-propyne with sodium amide followed by reaction with ethyl bromide yields 2-pentyne.
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Halogenation
Halogenation is another class of electrophilic addition reactions where a halogen molecule gets added across a π bond. In alkynes, the presence of two π bonds allows for the addition of two equivalents of halogens (bromine or chlorine). The addition of the first halogen molecule forms a trans-dihaloalkene as the major product and the cis isomer as the minor product. Subsequent addition of the second equivalent yields the tetrahalide.

