Regioselective heterohalogenation of 4-halo-anisoles via a series of sequential ortho-aluminations and electrophilic halogenations.

As the aluminate base [LiAl(TMP)(2)(iBu)(2)] 1 displays halogen tolerance towards substituted aromatics, 4-halo-anisoles have been ortho-aluminated and electrophilically quenched to form synthetically useful multi-heterohalogenated anisoles, with the Al intermediates along the route structurally defined.

Structurally powered synergic 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine bimetallics: new reflections through lithium-mediated ortho aluminations.

Recent times have witnessed many notable advances in metalation chemistry with halide salt supported strategies and alkali-metal mediated metalation being particularly prominent. This article begins with a brief account of both of these avant garde metalation methods focusing on selected recent examples not covered previously in a review. New results in the area of Alkali-Metal Mediated Alumination (AMMAl) are also presented. Thus, the putative lithium aluminate base THF·Li(µ-TMP)(2)Al((i)Bu)(2) (4) is shown to act via TMP basicity to efficiently ortho deprotonate a variety of functionalized aromatic molecules at room temperature, tolerating carboxamide and halide functionalities. These metalated species are electrophilically quenched with elemental iodine. Crystal structure determinations of the metalated intermediates confirm unequivocally that direct alumination of the substrates has occurred. Since the homometallic lithium or aluminum reagents are unable to effect such deprotonations these reactions are synergic in nature and can be considered examples of AMMAl. Drawing together previously published work in the field of AMMAl, together with other pertinent experimental observations and new density functional theory (DFT) computational studies, we propose a potential rationale for the "unusual" reactivity patterns witnessed in this branch of heterometallic synthetic chemistry with respect to other Alkali Metal Mediated Metalations which appear to behave in a more conventional manner.

Potassium-mediated zincation of ferrocene and ruthenocene: potassium, the architect behind supramolecular structural variations.

Direct zincation of ferrocene and ruthenocene by the synergic base [PMDETA x K(mu-TMP)(mu-Me)Zn(Me)] produces the monozincated complexes [{PMDETA x K(mu-Me)(2)Zn(Fc)}(infinity)] and [{PMDETA x K(mu-Me)(2)Zn(Rc)}(2)], respectively, having similar monomeric (dinuclear) units but aggregating supramolecularly in very different polymeric and dimeric forms.

cis-2,6-Dimethylpiperidide: a structural mimic for TMP (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide) or DA (diisopropylamide)?

Four novel heterobimetallic ate complexes containing cis-2,6-dimethylpiperidide (cis-DMP) have been prepared and characterised. Two contain one cis-DMP ligand, namely the bisalkyl-amido lithium, and sodium zincates [(TMEDA) x MZn(cis-DMP)(tBu)2] (M = Li for 1, Na for 2). Both 1 and 2 are synthesised by co-complexation of the respective alkali metal amide with di-tert-butylzinc in the presence of a molar equivalent of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) in a hydrocarbon medium. The third complex, containing two cis-DMP ligands, is the alkyl-bisamido sodium zincate [(TMEDA) x NaZn(cis-DMP)2(tBu)] 3. Complex 3 is prepared from 2 via a disproportionation reaction where the by-product is [(TMEDA) x NaZn(tBu)3]. Another alkyl-diamido sodium zincate, [(TMEDA) x NaZn(DIBA)2(tBu)] 4 is synthesised by utilising diisobutylamine [DIBA(H)]. This reaction emphasises the generality of this disproportionation process. Complex 5 contains three cis-DMP ligands and is a tris-amido sodium magnesiate [(TMEDA) x NaMg(cis-DMP)3]. It is prepared by treating an equimolar mixture of butylsodium and dibutylmagnesium with three and one molar equivalents of cis-DMP(H) and TMEDA respectively, in hydrocarbon solution. By comparison of 1-5 with appropriate complexes from the literature, it has been possible to experimentally determine that the steric bulk of cis-DMP closely resembles that of DA but is considerably less bulky than 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (TMP).

Structurally defined potassium-mediated zincation of pyridine and 4-R-substituted pyridines (R = Et, iPr, tBu, Ph, and Me2N) by using dialkyl-TMP-zincate bases.

Two potassium-dialkyl-TMP-zincate bases [(pmdeta)K(mu-Et)(mu-tmp)Zn(Et)] (1) (PMDETA = N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, TMP = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide), and [(pmdeta)K(mu-nBu)(mu-tmp)Zn(nBu)] (2), have been synthesized by a simple co-complexation procedure. Treatment of 1 with a series of substituted 4-R-pyridines (R = Me(2)N, H, Et, iPr, tBu, and Ph) gave 2-zincated products of the general formula [{2-Zn(Et)(2)-mu-4-R-C(5)H(3)N}(2)2{K(pmdeta)}] (3-8, respectively) in isolated crystalline yields of 53, 16, 7, 23, 67, and 51%, respectively; the treatment of 2 with 4-tBu-pyridine gave [{2-Zn(nBu)(2)-mu-4-tBu-C(5)H(3)N}(2)2{K(pmdeta)}] (9) in an isolated crystalline yield of 58%. Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic and NMR spectroscopic characterization of 3-9 revealed a novel structural motif consisting of a dianionic dihydroanthracene-like tricyclic ring system with a central diazadicarbadizinca (ZnCN)(2) ring, face-capped on either side by PMDETA-wrapped K(+) cations. All the new metalated pyridine complexes share this dimeric arrangement. As determined by NMR spectroscopic investigations of the reaction filtrates, those solutions producing 3, 7, 8, and 9 appear to be essentially clean reactions, in contrast to those producing 4, 5, and 6, which also contain laterally zincated coproducts. In all of these metalation reactions, the potassium-zincate base acts as an amido transfer agent with a subsequent ligand-exchange mechanism (amido replacing alkyl) inhibited by the coordinative saturation, and thus, low Lewis acidity of the 4-coordinate Zn centers in these dimeric molecules. Studies on analogous trialkyl-zincate reagents in the absence and presence of stoichiometric or substoichiometric amounts of TMP(H) established the importance of Zn-N bonds for efficient zincation.

Closer insight into the reactivity of TMP-dialkyl zincates in directed ortho-zincation of anisole: experimental evidence of amido basicity and structural elucidation of key reaction intermediates.

The new dialkyl(aryl) lithium zincates [(THF)(2)Li(C(6)H(4)-OMe)MeZnMe] (4), [(TMEDA)Li(C(6)H(4)-OMe)MeZnMe] (6), [(THF)(3)Li(C(6)H(4)-OMe)(t)BuZn(t)Bu] (7), and [(PMDETA)Li(C(6)H(4)-OMe)(t)BuZn(t)Bu] (8) have been prepared by co-complexation reactions of lithiated anisole with the relevant dialkylzinc compound and the relevant Lewis base. These new heterobimetallic compounds have been characterized in solution using (1)H, (13)C{H}, and (7)Li NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures of 6 and 8 have been elucidated by X-ray crystallography. In 6 the distinct metals are connected through the anisole ligand which binds in an ambidentate fashion (through carbon-zinc and oxygen-lithium contacts) and also through one of the methyl groups, to close a [LiOCCZnC] six-membered ring; whereas 8 displays an open structure where anisole connects the two metals (in the same mode as in 6) but with the tert-butyl groups exclusively bonded terminally to zinc. Reactivity studies of zincates 4 and 7 with the amine TMP(H) supply experimental evidence that these heterobimetallic compounds are intermediates in the two-step deprotonation reaction of anisole by TMP-dialkyl zincates and show the relevance of the alkyl groups in the efficiency of TMP-dialkyl zincate bases. In addition, important solvent effects have also been evaluated. When hexane is added to THF solutions of compounds 4 or 7, the homoleptic tetraorganozincate [(THF)(2)Li(2)Zn(C(6)H(4)-OMe)(4)] (5) is obtained as the result of a disproportionation process. This lithium-rich zincate has also been spectroscopically and crystallographically characterized.

Structurally-defined potassium-mediated regioselective zincation of amino- and alkoxy-substituted pyridines.

The new synergic base [PMDETA.K(TMP)(Et)Zn(Et)] selectively zincates 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine at the 2-position and 4-methoxypyridine at the 3-position, to afford bimetallic potassium pyridylzinc complexes each displaying a novel, but remarkably different, structure.

Alkali-metal-mediated manganationII of functionalized arenes and applications of ortho-manganated products in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with iodobenzene.

Extending the recently introduced concept of "alkali-metal-mediated manganation" to functionalised arenes, the heteroleptic sodium manganate reagent [(tmeda)Na(tmp)(R)Mn(tmp)] (1; TMEDA=N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, TMP=2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide, R=CH2SiMe3) has been treated with anisole or N,N-diisopropylbenzamide in a 1:1 stoichiometry in hexane. These reactions afforded the crystalline products [(tmeda)Na(tmp)(o-C6H4OMe)Mn(tmp)] (2) and [(tmeda)Na(tmp){o-{C(O)N(iPr)2C6H4}Mn(CH2SiMe3] (3), respectively, as determined from X-ray crystallographic studies. On the basis of these products, it can be surmised that reagent 1 has acted, at least partially and ultimately, as an alkyl base in the first reaction liberating the silane Me4Si, but as an amido base in the second reaction liberating the amine TMPH. Both of these paramagnetic products 2 and 3 have contacted ion-pair structures, the key features of which are six-atom, five-element (NaNMnCCO) and seven-atom, five-element (NaNMnCCCO) rings, respectively. Manganates 2 and 3 were successfully cross-coupled with iodobenzene under [PdCl(2)(dppf)] (dppf=1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene) catalysis to generate unsymmetrical biaryl compounds in yields of 98.0 and 66.2 %, respectively. Emphasizing the importance of alkali-metal mediation in these manganation reactions, the bisalkyl Mn reagent on its own fails to metalate the said benzamide, but instead produces the monomeric, donor-acceptor complex [Mn(R)2{(iPr)2-NC(Ph)(==O)}2] (5), which has also been crystallographically characterised. During one attempt to repeat the synthesis of 2, the butoxide-contaminated complex [{(tmeda)Na(R)(OBu)(o-C6H4OMe)Mn}2] (6) was obtained. In contrast to 2 and 3, due to reduced steric constraints, this complex adopts a dimeric arrangement in the crystal, the centrepiece of which is a twelve atom (NaOCCMnC)2 ring.

Isolation and structural elucidation of a key aluminoaromatic intermediate and evidence for dismutation phenomena in TMP-alumination chemistry.

Lithium TMP-aluminate "(i)Bu(3)Al(TMP)Li" undergoes dismutation in THF solution to precipitate the tetraalkylaluminate [{Li.(THF)(4)}(+){Al((i)Bu)(4)}(-)], but reacts kinetically as a TMP base towards N,N-diisopropylbenzamide to afford the crystalline ortho-aluminated species [(THF)(3).Li{O([=C)N((i)Pr)(2)(C(6)H(4))}Al((i)Bu)(3)] and TMPH.

Structurally-defined direct C-magnesiation and C-zincation of N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds using alkali-metal-mediated metallation.

Demonstrating direct synergic "low polarity metallation", 1-methylindole is C-magnesiated by (TMEDA)(2).Na(2)MgBu(4) and C-zincated by (TMEDA).Na((t)Bu)(TMP)Zn((t)Bu), and 1-methylpyrrole is C-zincated by the same reagent, with all three metal products successfully crystallographically characterised.

Synthesis and characterisation of a series of alkylmagnesium amide and related oxygen-contaminated "alkoxy" compounds.

Synthesised either by an unusual tert-butyl metathesis between tert-butyllithium and a n,s-butylmagnesium amide or by reaction of an alkyl Grignard reagent and a sodium amide, five tert-butylmagnesium amides, Bu(t)MgDBA (5)(DBA=dibenzylamide), Bu(t)MgDA (6)(DA=diisopropylamide), Bu(t)MgHMDS (7)(HMDS=1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazide), Bu(t)MgTMP (8)(TMP=2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide) and Bu(t)MgNCy2 (9)(cy=cyclohexyl) have been isolated as crystalline solids. All five amides have been characterised by X-ray crystallography and solution NMR spectroscopic studies. The former studies reveal a common dimeric molecular structure with amido bridges in a planar (MgN)2 ring and terminal Bu(t) ligands on the Mg atoms. Also described is the dodecameric primary amide [Bu(n)MgN(H)Dipp]12 (10a) and its monomeric solvate Bu(n)MgN(H)Dipp.TMEDA (10b)(Dipp=2,6-diisopropylphenyl; TMEDA=N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine). The crystal structures of the oxo-insertion products Bu(t)MgOBu(t).THF (11), Bu(t)Mg(mu-OBu(t))(mu-TMP)MgTMP (12) and Mg(OBu(n))HMDS.solv [solv=THF (13a) or Et2O (13b)], made fortuitously during the course of this work, are also presented.