Communications
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200902099
Synthetic Methods
Highly Chemoselective Nickel-Catalyzed Three-Component Cross-
Trimerization of Three Distinct Alkynes Leading to 1,3-Dien-5-ynes
Kenichi Ogata,* Jun Sugasawa, and Shin-ichi Fukuzawa*
The transition-metal-catalyzed coupling reaction of alkynes is
a highly attractive synthetic method for p-conjugated com-
pounds because of its atom economy. Among its various
applications in the field of dimerization of alkynes, the cross-
dimerization of two different alkynes has been recognized as a
versatile method in the formation of 1,3-enynes.[1] Recently,
investigations of this reaction have been extended to involve
bulky silyl-substituted terminal alkynes.[2] In contrast, the
selective linear cross-trimerization of alkynes leading to 1,3-
dien-5-ynes has yet to be studied in detail[3] even though much
research on the two-component cross-cyclotrimerization
reaction, which has been recognized as a versatile method
for the synthesis of multisubstituted benzene rings, has been
reported.[4] Moreover, such reactions have been limited to a
two-component reaction involving two different alkynes, that
is, 1:2 or 2:1 cross-trimerization between terminal and internal
alkynes. The three-component linear cross-trimerization of
three distinct alkynes has yet to be developed [Eq. (1)]. The
three-component reaction is challenging because of the need
to control the chemoselectivity of each alkyne.[5]
isopropylsilylacetylene (1), the ether-functionalized internal
alkyne 2a, and 3-hexyne (3a), as shown in Table 1. In the
presence of the [Ni(cod)2]/2PPh3 catalyst (10 mol%), the
Table 1: Screening of phosphine ligands for the three-component cross-
trimerization between 1, 2a, and 3a.[a]
Entry
Phosphine
Yield [%][b]
A/B[c]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
PPh3
92
61
0[d]
51
16
22
65
93:7
83:17
–
81:19
85:15
89:11
87:13
P(nPr)3
P(o-tolyl)3
P(nBu)3
P(iPr)3
PCy3
dppe
[a] Reaction
conditions:
[Ni(cod)2]
(0.10 mmol),
phosphine
(0.20 mmol), 1 (1.0 mmol), 2a (1.0 mmol), 3a (2.0 mmol), and toluene
(3 mL) were employed. [b] Yield of isolated product. [c] Determined by
1H NMR analysis. [d] Homodimer of 1 was formed; see reference [7].
Cy =cyclohexyl, dppe=bis(1,2-diphenylphosphinoethane).
three-component cross-trimerization reaction proceeded
smoothly at 808C to afford 4aa in high yield with complete
chemoselectivity (Table 1, entry 1); the ratio between the
major (4aa-A) and minor (4aa-B) isomers was determined to
be A/B = 93:7 by integrating the 1H NMR signals for the
alkene proton of each isomer.[6] In comparison, 4aa was
obtained in a lower yield using the [Ni(cod)2]/P(nPr)3 catalyst,
which was previously shown to be effective for the two-
component 1:2 cross-trimerization between 1 and two mole-
We have previously achieved the effective and highly
regio- and stereoselective 1:2 cross-trimerization involving
triisopropylsilylacetylene and two internal alkynes using
[Ni(cod)2]/P(nPr)3 (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) as the cata-
lyst.[3d] In this report, we demonstrate the first highly
chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective 1:1:1 three-component
cross-trimerization leading to 1,3-dien-5-ynes by the combi-
nation of triisopropylsilylacetylene, an ether-functionalized
unsymmetrical internal alkyne, and a symmetrical internal
alkyl alkyne in the presence of [Ni(cod)2]/PPh3 as a catalyst.
First, the effect of phosphine was investigated for the
three-component cross-trimerization reaction involving tri-
cules containing an internal alkyne (Table 1, entry 2).[3d]
A
homodimer of 1 and the 1:2 cross-trimer between 1 and 2a
were also detected as byproducts by using GC-MS methods.
In the case of a bulky arylphosphine, P(o-tolyl)3, the cross-
trimerization reaction was not observed (Table 1, entry 3).[7]
Other alkylphosphines such as P(nBu)3, P(iPr)3, and PCy3
were not effective (Table 1, entries 4–6) in the reaction, and
the [Ni(cod)2]/dppe-catalyzed reaction resulted in a moderate
product yield (Table 1, entry 7). On the basis of a screen of
phosphine ligands, the highest yield and regioselectivity for
the formation of the three-component cross-trimer 4aa was
achieved using PPh3. For reactions using other bulky silyl-
acetylene such as tert-butyldimethylsilylacetylene under these
conditions, the corresponding three-component cross-trimer
was obtained in lower yield and regioselectivity.[8]
[*] Dr. K. Ogata, J. Sugasawa, Prof. Dr. S.-i. Fukuzawa
Department of Applied Chemistry
Institute of Science and Engineering, Chuo University
1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan)
Fax : (+81)3-3817-1916
E-mail: orgsynth@kc.chuo-u.ac.jp
index.html
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
6078
ꢀ 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 6078 –6080