Cobalt-catalyzed reductive coupling of activated alkenes with alkynes.
Cobalt complex/Zn systems effectively catalyze the reductive coupling of activated alkenes with alkynes in the presence of water to give substituted alkenes with very high regio- and stereoselectivity in excellent yields. While the intermolecular reaction of acrylates, acrylonitriles, and vinyl sulfones with alkynes takes place in the presence of CoI2(PPh3)2/Zn, the reaction of enones and enals with alkynes requires the use of the CoI2(dppe)/Zn/ZnI2 system. The intramolecular reductive coupling of activated alkenes (enones, enals, acrylates, and acrylonitriles) with alkynes also works efficiently. Further a variety of cyclic lactones and lactams were prepared using this methodology. Possible mechanistic pathways are proposed based on a deuterium-labeling experiment carried out in the presence of D2O.
Chang
Hong-Tai
HT
Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Jayanth
Thiruvellore Thatai
TT
Wang
Chun-Chih
CC
Cheng
Chien-Hong
CH