title: Palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond-forming 1,2-ligand migration of organoalanes.
abstract: A one-pot, two-step process that transforms terminal alkynes into ethyl methyl-substituted benzylic quaternary carbon centers is described. (E)-2,2-Disubstituted-1-alkenyldimethylalanes have been shown to participate in 1,2-alkyl migration from aluminum to carbon with concomitant arylation at the 2-position to furnish ethyl methyl-substituted benzylic quaternary carbon centers, when reacted intramolecularly with aryl halides and triflates in the presence of a Pd(0) catalyst. The protocol is initiated with Cp2ZrCl2-catalyzed methylalumination of terminal alkynes followed by palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arylation of the resulting (E)-2,2-disubstituted-1-alkenyldimethylalanes, leading to 1,2-methyl shift from aluminum to carbon. In that sequence, a total of three new C-C single bonds are made, and two of the three alkyl groups on Me3Al transferred to the substrate on vicinal carbons. This method was applied to a variety of substrates, and the mechanism was investigated by deuterium-labeling experiments, which revealed that protodealumination of the final dialkylaluminum triflate or halide intermediates by CH3CN results in the formation of the fourth bond in the course of the transformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1. efillion@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fillion
authors.forename: Rebekah J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.forename: Vincent E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Trépanier
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goll
authors.forename: Anna A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Remorova