title: Reversing the role of the metal[bond]oxygen pi-bond. Chemoselective catalytic reductions with a rhenium(V)-dioxo complex.
abstract: The metal-oxygen bond plays a critical role in some of the most important biological and synthetic reactions. However, the majority of these processes result in the oxidation of the target organic substrate; applications of this class of metal complexes to other organic transformations are extremely rare. In this paper, we report a new type of catalytic process in which complexes with metal-oxygen multiple bonds are used as reductants rather than oxidants. The overall reaction provides a highly chemoselective reduction/protection of carbonyl groups. In addition to providing a new way of catalyzing organic reactions, these catalysts can be used in the presence of a wide range of other functional groups such as amino, cyano, nitro, aryl halo, ester, and alkene; unlike many of their late metal relatives, they are inexpensive as well as air and moisture tolerant.
authors.affiliation: Center for New Directions in Organic Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kennedy-Smith
authors.forename: Kristine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nolin
authors.forename: Haluna P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Gunterman
authors.forename: F Dean
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Toste