The triazol-5-ylidenes are a group of persistent carbenes which includes the 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene system and the 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene system. As opposed to the now ubiquitous NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene) systems based on imidazole rings, these carbenes are structured from triazole rings. 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene can be thought of as an analog member of the NHC family, with an extra nitrogen in the ring, while 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene is better thought of as a mesoionic carbene (MIC). [1] Both isomers of this group of carbenes benefit from enhanced stability, with certain examples exhibiting greater thermal stability, and others extended shelf life. [1] [2]
The 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene system is of special historic interest, as this system contains the first known instance of a characterized NHC, a compound colloquially known as Nitron, which was first isolated in 1905. [3] This compound was first proposed as an analytical reagent for the gravimetric analysis of moieties commonly found in explosives. [3] [4] Nitron's properties as an NHC, however, were not reported and utilized until 2011. [5]
Another member from this group of carbenes is of particular interest due to its robust stability up to temperatures of 150 °C in the absence of air or oxygen. It was first reported in 1995 by Dieter Enders and coworkers and has since become known as the "Ender's carbene. [2] " This particular reagent bears the notable distinction of being the first commercially available carbene. [4] [6]
Cope and Barab reported in 1917 that Nitron had been first synthesized as early as 1905 by Max Busch, who published extensively on its use as an analytical reagent for gravimetric analysis. [3] This molecule's potential for carbene-like reactivity would not be recognized until Färber et al. from the University of Kassel published a paper in 2011 showcasing its potential as a carbenic species. This group demonstrated that Nitron reacts as a nucleophilic carbene. [5]
Reaction with elemental Sulfur in THF afforded a triazolinethione derivative. This formation of a C=S double bond is characteristic of nucleophilic carbenes, often referred to as a "trapping" reaction. With addition of CS2 in THF, a betainic dithiocarboxylate was synthesized, with its crystal structure fully characterized and its 13CNMR and IR spectra corresponding well with typical NHC analogues. The Rhodium complexes that the group synthesized showed that Nitron acts as a moderate donor ligand, as a reduced CO stretching frequency in the product was confirmed by IR analysis when compared to the starting material, indicating that the significant back-donation into the metal center had occurred, as would be expected from a nucleophilic carbene. [5] Nitron has gained relatively little attention in the literature since this discovery of its carbene reactivity, although a few investigations [7] have been undertaken to determine how its reactivity compares to the more rigorously tested and more commonly used carbene ligands.
The University of Kassel group cited their interest in generating new, cheaper-to-produce carbenes because, at the time, the commercially available carbenes "exceed[ed] several hundred US$ per gram. [5] These commercially available carbenes had been in development since the late 1960s. Chemists were trying to make these carbenic species more stable at higher temperatures and exist free in solution without needing to form coordination compounds. Hans-Werner Wanzlick, Guy Bertrand, and Anthony Arduengo were pioneers in the development of these types of persistent carbenes, not exclusively working with the triazol-5-ylidenes. [8] [9] [10]
Dieter Enders' group developed a carbene in 1995 that was stable enough to be commercially distributed. Starting with benzoyl chloride, they formed a triazolium perchlorate salt over 5 steps. They reacted this triazolium salt with sodium methoxide in methanol, and then carried out a thermal α-elimination of methanol at 80 °C and under low pressure conditions to form the Enders carbene. While all carbenes are very sensitive to oxygen and air and typically decompose readily when exposed to high temperatures. Enders showed that his new carbene was stable up to 150 °C in the absence of air and oxygen. [2] [11] [12] These advances in carbene stability helped to make the commercialization of these reagents a reality. Enders carbene would become the first commercially available carbene. [6] These carbenes, however, were still expensive, as noted by Färber et al. [5] Following this commercialization and dissemination, many analogues of the 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene system have been reported and utilized, most often as transition metal coordination compounds. [13] [14] [15] The enders Carbene itself proved to be a powerful catalyst for the conversion of formaldehyde to glycolaldehyde in the "formoin reaction. [16] [17] "
The chemistry of the 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene system is a much more recently developed field. This system is based on the 1,2,3-triazole ring and had been indicated to have "non negligible lifetimes" in solution as early as 1975. [18] In 2008, 1,2,3-triazolium iodide salts were observed to react with transition metals to form metal-ligand complexes. [19] In 2010, however, Guy Bertrand's group reported the first crystalline carbene of this class, synthesized via a copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (click reaction) of 2,6-diisopropylphenyl azide and phenylacetylene. Bertrand's group reported high stability and shelf life for this compound. [20] Since then, many coordination compounds have been reported based on this system—most notably, compounds which are active organocatalysts. [21] [22]
Arduengo postulated that the stability of NHC-type carbenes arose from accumulation of electron density around the carbene center, hindering addition reactions from opportunistic nucleophiles. Arduengo concluded that the overall stability of these NHC's resulted from kinetic factors. He stated that "the isolation of a stable carbene is dependent upon the ability of the carbene to exist in a deep local minimum on the potential energy surfaces. It is not important what other minima might also exist on the potential surfaces so long as these minima are not kinetically accessible under ambient conditions likewise. [23] " Enders, in a similar manner, referring to the stability of the "enders carbene", posited that the "2p-2p interactions between the carbene carbon atom and the adjacent nitrogen atoms play a significant role in the stabilization of [the molecule]," due to their observation that these N-C bond lengths are considerably shorter than would be expected from single bonds. [2] When comparing their own assessment to Arduengo's rationale for stability, Enders et al. acknowledged in their 1995 paper that "Neither our crystallographic nor our theoretical results permit us to judge the significance of these factors for the stability of the system examined in this work. [2] " The combination of strong lone pair donation from the two Nitrogens to the carbene center and the Nitrogens' sigma withdrawing effects are the primary rationales for the stability of these systems. [24]
The 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene system demonstrates fascinating reactivity, particularly with respect to the typical dimerization pathways for NHC's. Guy Bertrand notes "the Wanzlick equilibrium pathway for classical carbenes is disfavored [for these MIC's]. [20] " The Wanzlick equilibrium describes a typical dimerization for Arduengo type carbenes (NHC's). [25] Due to their apparent reluctance to participate in this dimerization pathway, carbenes based on the 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene system have vastly extended shelf lives. [1] These systems still require significant kinetic stabilization to be stable in solution. [1]
Enders reported that the Enders carbene exhibits typical Lewis basicity, as it readily adds to Lewis acids like BH3∙THF, giving the triazoline-borane adduct. [11] In the same paper, Enders reports many other types of nucleophilic carbene reactions that are not exclusive to this system. The enders carbene undergoes insertion reactions, addition reactions, and cycloadditions in a similar manner to many other NHC systems. [11]
Both triazol-5-ylidene systems prove to be excellent organocatalysts. [1] [16] One such catalytic use of these carbenes is an allylic substitution Grignard reaction reported in 2013. The catalytic use of a triazolium salt generates a 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene magnesium complex in situ, which, due to its significant Lewis basicity, can back donate to the magnesium center and push the Schlenk equilibrium towards alkyl magnesium products. The Lewis basicity of the catalyst also promotes Sn2' selectivity for this specific reaction. [22] The 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene ligand has also been shown to work well with catalytic ruthenium systems promoting olefin metathesis reactions. [21] Other reported catalytic processes facilitated by compounds bearing these MIC ligands include: hydrohydrazination of alkynes, reductive formylation of amines with carbon dioxide and diphenylsilane, hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of N-heteroarenes in water, cycloisomerization of enynes, asymmetric Suzuki−Miyaura cross-coupling reactions, and water oxidation (WO) reactions. [1]
Regarding the 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene system, many of its reported coordination compounds are with transition metals, which are usually generated in similar fashion to the analogous imidazole-based NHC ligand-metal systems. [13] [14] [15] One such catalytic use of this system coupled to a transition metal was described in 2010, where the authors used a Gold (I) complex as a regioselective catalyst for the hydroamination of alkynes. [14]
A substituted analogue of the 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene system was synthesized in 2016, with a boron atom replacing the carbenic carbon. [26] The synthesized triazaborole-metal system showed interesting reactivity toward CO and isonitriles. The authors also reported that reactions with this triazaborole ring yielded some exceptionally rare boron-metal bonds, such as B-Sb and B-Bi. [26] The structures of these triazaborole rings are stabilized by the interaction between the empty P orbital on the Boron and the lone pairs on the flanking Nitrogens. The aryl groups also provide good kinetic stabilization to the system. Insertion reactions of CO to 1,2,4,3-Triazaborol-3-yl-Lithium yielded reactive carbene species, which the authors utilized as a starting material to generate a 1,2-diboranylethene adduct.
In organic chemistry, a carbene is a molecule containing a neutral carbon atom with a valence of two and two unshared valence electrons. The general formula is R−:C−R' or R=C: where the R represents substituents or hydrogen atoms.
The Sonogashira reaction is a cross-coupling reaction used in organic synthesis to form carbon–carbon bonds. It employs a palladium catalyst as well as copper co-catalyst to form a carbon–carbon bond between a terminal alkyne and an aryl or vinyl halide.
Grubbs catalysts are a series of transition metal carbene complexes used as catalysts for olefin metathesis. They are named after Robert H. Grubbs, the chemist who supervised their synthesis. Several generations of the catalyst have also been developed. Grubbs catalysts tolerate many functional groups in the alkene substrates, are air-tolerant, and are compatible with a wide range of solvents. For these reasons, Grubbs catalysts have become popular in synthetic organic chemistry. Grubbs, together with Richard R. Schrock and Yves Chauvin, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in recognition of their contributions to the development of olefin metathesis.
A transition metal carbene complex is an organometallic compound featuring a divalent carbon ligand, itself also called a carbene. Carbene complexes have been synthesized from most transition metals and f-block metals, using many different synthetic routes such as nucleophilic addition and alpha-hydrogen abstraction. The term carbene ligand is a formalism since many are not directly derived from carbenes and most are much less reactive than lone carbenes. Described often as =CR2, carbene ligands are intermediate between alkyls (−CR3) and carbynes (≡CR). Many different carbene-based reagents such as Tebbe's reagent are used in synthesis. They also feature in catalytic reactions, especially alkene metathesis, and are of value in both industrial heterogeneous and in homogeneous catalysis for laboratory- and industrial-scale preparation of fine chemicals.
A triazole is a heterocyclic compound featuring a five-membered ring of two carbon atoms and three nitrogen atoms with molecular formula C2H3N3. Triazoles exhibit substantial isomerism, depending on the positioning of the nitrogen atoms within the ring.
A persistent carbene is an organic molecule whose natural resonance structure has a carbon atom with incomplete octet, but does not exhibit the tremendous instability typically associated with such moieties. The best-known examples and by far largest subgroup are the N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC), in which nitrogen atoms flank the formal carbene.
Tebbe's reagent is the organometallic compound with the formula (C5H5)2TiCH2ClAl(CH3)2. It is used in the methylidenation of carbonyl compounds, that is it converts organic compounds containing the R2C=O group into the related R2C=CH2 derivative. It is a red solid that is pyrophoric in the air, and thus is typically handled with air-free techniques. It was originally synthesized by Fred Tebbe at DuPont Central Research.
The Wolff rearrangement is a reaction in organic chemistry in which an α-diazocarbonyl compound is converted into a ketene by loss of dinitrogen with accompanying 1,2-rearrangement. The Wolff rearrangement yields a ketene as an intermediate product, which can undergo nucleophilic attack with weakly acidic nucleophiles such as water, alcohols, and amines, to generate carboxylic acid derivatives or undergo [2+2] cycloaddition reactions to form four-membered rings. The mechanism of the Wolff rearrangement has been the subject of debate since its first use. No single mechanism sufficiently describes the reaction, and there are often competing concerted and carbene-mediated pathways; for simplicity, only the textbook, concerted mechanism is shown below. The reaction was discovered by Ludwig Wolff in 1902. The Wolff rearrangement has great synthetic utility due to the accessibility of α-diazocarbonyl compounds, variety of reactions from the ketene intermediate, and stereochemical retention of the migrating group. However, the Wolff rearrangement has limitations due to the highly reactive nature of α-diazocarbonyl compounds, which can undergo a variety of competing reactions.
2,4,6-Trimethylaniline is an organic compound with formula (CH3)3C6H2NH2. It is an aromatic amine that is of commercial interest as a precursor to dyes. It is prepared by selective nitration of mesitylene, avoiding oxidation of the methyl groups, followed by reduction of the resulting nitro group to the aniline.
IMes is an abbreviation for an organic compound that is a common ligand in organometallic chemistry. It is an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). The compound, a white solid, is often not isolated but instead is generated upon attachment to the metal centre.
Anthony Joseph Arduengo III is Professor of the Practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Saxon Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Alabama, adjunct professor at the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry of Braunschweig University of Technology in Germany, and co-founder of the StanCE coalition for sustainable chemistry based on woody biomass. He is notable for his work on chemical compounds with unusual valency, especially in the field of stable carbene research.
Guy Bertrand, born on July 17, 1952, at Limoges is a chemistry professor at the University of California, San Diego.
Dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene is a hypothetical organic compound with formula C3H6N2. It would be a heterocyclic compound, formally derived from imidazolidine with two hydrogen atoms removed from carbon number 2, leaving two vacant chemical bonds — which makes it a carbene.
PEPPSI is an abbreviation for pyridine-enhanced precatalyst preparation stabilization and initiation. It refers to a family of commercially available palladium catalysts developed around 2005 by Prof. Michael G. Organ and co-workers at York University, which can accelerate various carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond forming cross-coupling reactions. In comparison to many alternative palladium catalysts, Pd-PEPPSI-type complexes are stable to air and moisture and are relatively easy to synthesize and handle.
In chemistry, mesoionic carbenes (MICs) are a type of reactive intermediate that are related to N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs); thus, MICs are also referred to as abnormal N-heterocyclic carbenes (aNHCs) or remote N-heterocyclic carbenes (rNHCs). Unlike simple NHCs, the canonical resonance structures of these carbenes are mesoionic: an MIC cannot be drawn without adding additional charges to some of the atoms.
In organometallic chemistry, palladium-NHC complexes are a family of organopalladium compounds in which palladium forms a coordination complex with N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). They have been investigated for applications in homogeneous catalysis, particularly cross-coupling reactions.
In coordination chemistry, a transition metal NHC complex is a metal complex containing one or more N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. Such compounds are the subject of much research, in part because of prospective applications in homogeneous catalysis. One such success is the second generation Grubbs catalyst.
In organic chemistry, hydrovinylation is the formal insertion of an alkene into the C-H bond of ethylene :
Coinage metal N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes refer to transition metal complexes incorporating at least one coinage metal center (M = Cu, Ag, Au) ligated by at least one NHC-type persistent carbene. A variety of such complexes have been synthesized through deprotonation of the appropriate imidazolium precursor and metalation by the appropriate metal source, producing MI, MII, or MIII NHC complexes. While the general form can be represented as (R2N)2C:–M (R = various alkyl or aryl groups), the exact nature of the bond between NHC and M has been investigated extensively through computational modeling and experimental probes. These results indicate that the M-NHC bond consists mostly of electrostatic attractive interactions, with some covalent bond character arising from NHC to M σ donation and minor M to NHC π back-donation. Coinage metal NHC complexes show effective activity as catalysts for various organic transformations functionalizing C-H and C-C bonds, and as antimicrobial and anticancer agents in medicinal chemistry.
Aluminylenes are a sub-class of aluminium(I) compounds that feature singly-coordinated aluminium atoms with a lone pair of electrons. As aluminylenes exhibit two unoccupied orbitals, they are not strictly aluminium analogues of carbenes until stabilized by a Lewis base to form aluminium(I) nucleophiles. The lone pair and two empty orbitals on the aluminium allow for ambiphilic bonding where the aluminylene can act as both an electrophile and a nucleophile. Aluminylenes have also been reported under the names alumylenes and alanediyl.
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