Palladium(II) and Platinum(II) Mononuclear Complexes and Tendency to Undergo Dehydrogenation of the Multiple N-Donor Ligand Di-(2-pyridyl)dihydropyrazine.

The already known di(2-pyridyl)dihydropyrazine (dhdpp) was prepared and isolated also in the form of a bis-hydrated species, i.e., dhdpp·2HO.

One-step synthesis of low molecular weight poly(p-phenyleneethynylenevinylene)s via polyaddition of aromatic diynes by catalysis of the [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2/AcOH system.

pi-Conjugated low molecular weight polymers characterized by regio- and stereoregular alternation of phenylene and ( E)-1-en-3-yne moieties have been synthesized by polyaddition of 1,4-diethynylbenzene or of 2,5-diethynyl-1,4-alkoxybenzene monomers, employing the commercially available di-micro-chlorobis[( p-cymene)chlororuthenium(II)] complex as the metal catalyst source, under homogeneous, atom-economical, amine- and phosphine-free conditions. Bulk materials of poly( p-phenyleneethynylenevinylene) derivatives are obtained with yields larger than 80%, from which polymers readily soluble in chlorinated solvents and in tetrahydrofuran are extracted in 60-75% yields. The polymers with average degrees of polymerization in the range n AV = 4-8 display optical properties in solution similar to those of the higher molecular weights analogues.

Synthesis of alkyl-substituted six-membered lactones through ring-closing metathesis of homoallyl acrylates. An easy route to pyran-2-ones, constituents of tobacco flavor.

The ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions of homoallylic acrylates bearing alkyl substituents on various positions of their skeleton afford the corresponding pentenolides in the presence of carbene ruthenium catalysts. For R3 = R4 = H, or R3 = Me, R4 = H, the reactions are catalyzed by complex [RuCl2(PCy3)2(=CHPh)], while a second-generation Grubbs catalyst is required when R3 = H and R4 = Me, R3 = R4 = Me, or R3 = i-Pr and R4 = H. Alkyl substitution at the homoallylic carbon (R1, R2) increases the yield of the reaction when both the acrylic and/or homoallylic double bonds are methyl-substituted.

Selective dimerization of arylalkynes to (E)-1,4-diaryl enynes catalyzed by the [Ru(p-cymene)Cl(2)](2)/acetic acid system under phosphine-free conditions.

The commercially available di-mu-chlorobis[(p-cymene)chlororuthenium(II)] complex catalyzes the dimerization of aromatic alkynes in acetic acid at room temperature to form the corresponding (E)-1,4-diarylbut-1-ene-3-yne derivatives, with high stereoselectivity. The procedure does not require the use of additives and can be carried out in the presence of water or aprotic cosolvents, under homogeneous conditions.

Synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated 4,5-disubstituted gamma-lactones via ring-closing metathesis catalyzed by the first-generation Grubbs' catalyst.

[reaction: see text] 4-Methyl-5-alkyl-2(5H)-furanones have been prepared by ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis of the suitable methallyl acrylates. Despite the electron deficiency of the conjugated double bond and of the gem-disubstitution of the allylic alkene moiety in the starting acrylates, the first-generation Grubbs' catalyst I proved to be an effective promoter for the ring closure, affording the expected butenolides in good to high yields.

Formation of a cyclobutylidene ring: intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of allyl and vinylidene C=C bonds under mild conditions.

Intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of two C=C bonds in vinylidene complexes [Ru(eta5-C9H7){=C=C(R)H}(PPh3){kappa1-(P)-PPh2(C3H5)][BF4] affords cyclobutylidene complexes [Ru(eta5-C9H7){kappa2-(P,C)-(=CC(R)HCH2CHCH2PPh2)}(PPh3)][BF4], which can be also obtained by reaction of terminal alkynes with [Ru(eta5-C9H7)(PPh3){kappa3-(P,C,C)-PPh2(C3H5)}][PF6]. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions via vinylidene complexes, and the activation parameters were determined by kinetic studies.

Mechanism of the palladium-catalyzed metal-carbon bond formation. A dual pathway for the transmetalation step.

The mechanism of the transmetalation step in the metal-carbon bond-formation process catalyzed by palladium complexes has been studied by spectroscopic and kinetic methods. The reaction of properly designed model complexes [structure: see text], resulting from oxidative addition of a Mo-I moiety to a palladium center, with aryltributyltinacetylides Bu(3)Sn-C [triple bond] C-(p-XC(6)H(4)) (11a, X = H; 11b, X = Cl) yields the products of transmetalation [structure: see text] (5a,b). The reaction, which shows a strong dependence on the nature of the phosphine ligand PR(3) (Ph > Bu > Me) and less so on the nature of the p-substituent X group, proceeds through two competing pathways, depending on the initial concentration of substrate.