title: Iron-catalyzed carbometalation of propargylic and homopropargylic alcohols.
abstract: Nucleophilic addition to alkynes represents an attractive approach to the synthesis of olefins. Obstacles to this strategy include the low reactivity of alkynes toward many organometallic reagents and difficulties associated with controlling the regioselectivity of addition. Here we demonstrate that Fe(III) salts are effective precatalysts for the carbometalation of alkynes. Primary and secondary propargylic and homopropargylic alcohols react with alkyl and aryl Grignard reagents to provide Z-allylic and -homoallylic alcohols as single stereo and regioisomers. Alkylation and arylation occur distal to the alcohol. Common oxygen protecting groups and tertiary nitrogens are tolerated. The intermediate vinyl magnesium or iron species can be trapped with a variety of electrophiles including aldehydes, allyl bromide, and N-bromosuccinimide. Diyne substrates undergo an unusual addition/cyclization reaction to generate cyclic dienes. A brief discussion of mechanism is included.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas 75390-9038, USA.
authors.forename: Donghui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ready
mesh_terms: D000480:Alkynes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D020005:Propanols / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D020005:Propanols; C028255:propargyl alcohol; D008274:Magnesium