Pd-Catalyzed Synthesis of Disubstituted THFs
A R T I C L E S
Scheme 1
C-C bond-forming reductive elimination of the resulting
complex 6 (Scheme 1, path A) or by alkene insertion into the
Pd-C bond of 5 followed by C-O bond-forming reductive
elimination from intermediate 7 (Scheme 1, path B).4,11,12 We
were unable to differentiate between these two possibilities, as
either pathway could potentially afford the observed major
product. However, we felt this mechanistic scenario was rather
intriguing, as each of these two possible mechanisms involved
one step with very little literature precedent. For example,
documented cases of alkene insertion into late-transition-metal-
oxygen bonds (path A, step 1) are exceptionally rare,13,14 and
only one example of alkene insertion involving a late-transition-
metal complex bearing both a metal-carbon and a metal-
alkoxide bond had been previously reported.14 The formation
of sp3 carbon-oxygen bonds via reductive elimination reactions
from late-transition-metal complexes (path B, step 2) is also
very rare, and known examples involve metals in high oxidation
states such as Ni(III)15 and Pt(IV).16 Reductive eliminations from
Pd(II) complexes that form sp3 C-O bonds have not been
reported.17,18
The mechanistic hypothesis for tetrahydrofuran formation
described above also posed a challenging question. In the
absence of competing pathways or side reactions, the mechanism
shown in Scheme 1 predicts that the tetrahydrofuran forma-
tion should occur with high diastereoselectivity for products
resulting from syn-addition across the double bond. Thus, we
were puzzled by the observation that although cycloalkenes
were converted to tetrahydrofurans with high stereoselectivity
(>20:1), transformations of acyclic internal alkenes proceeded
with modest stereoselectivity (ca. 5:1).19 These results prompted
us to devise new experiments, which ultimately provided both
insights into the origin of the differences in stereoselectivity
and information concerning the chemoselectivity (Pd-O vs
Pd-C) of the alkene insertion into complex 5.
In this paper we present the results of deuterium labeling
studies that are most consistent with a mechanism involving
selective intramolecular insertion of the alkene into the Pd-O
bond of an intermediate Pd(Ar)(OR) complex followed by C-C
bond-forming reductive elimination (Scheme 1, path A). These
experiments also suggest the modest stereoselectivity observed
in reactions of acyclic internal alkene substrates arises from
reversible â-hydride elimination and σ-bond rotation processes
that occur after the alkene insertion step but prior to reductive
elimination. We also describe studies on the scope and limita-
tions of these transformations and their application to the
synthesis of a variety of monocyclic, bicyclic, and spirocyclic
tetrahydrofuran derivatives.
(6) For related transformations of γ-aminoalkenes that afford nitrogen hetero-
cycles, see: (a) Ney, J. E.; Wolfe, J. P. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2004, 43,
3605-3608. (b) Ney, J. E.; Wolfe, J. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127,
8644-8651. (c) Beaudoin Bertrand, M.; Wolfe, J. P. Tetrahedron 2005,
61, 6447-6459. (d) Lira, R.; Wolfe, J. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126,
13906-13907. (e) Yang, Q.; Ney, J. E.; Wolfe, J. P. Org. Lett. 2005, 7,
2575-2578.
(7) (a) For related transformations of γ-alkylidene malonates that afford
carbocycles, see: (a) Balme, G.; Bouyssi, D.; Lomberget, T.; Monteiro,
N. Synthesis 2003, 2115-2134. (b) Balme, G.; Bouyssi, D.; Faure, R.;
Gore, J.; Van Hemelryck, B. Tetrahedron 1992, 48, 3891-3902.
(8) For related transformations of γ-hydroxyallenes or -alkynes, see: (a) Kang,
S.-K.; Baik, T. -G.; Kulak, A. N. Synlett 1999, 324-326. (b) Walkup, R.
D.; Guan, L.; Mosher, M. D.; Kim, S. W.; Kim, Y. S. Synlett 1993, 88-
90. (c) Luo, F. T.; Schreuder, I.; Wang, R. T. J. Org. Chem. 1992, 57,
2213-2215.
(9) For related heteroannulations of internal alkynes with o-haloanilines,
o-halophenols, and related compounds, see: Larock, R. C.; Yum, E. K.;
Doty, M. J.; Sham, K. K. C. J. Org. Chem. 1995, 60, 3270-3271.
(10) The structure of this regioisomer had not been assigned at the time of our
initial communication of these studies (ref 4). We have included the
characterization data for this compound in the Supporting Information of
this paper. In addition, a trace amount (ca. 0.5-1.0%) of regioisomer 4c
was detected upon isolation of 4b by preparative HPLC. This regioisomer
was not present in sufficient amount to detect by 1H NMR analysis of the
mixture of 4a-c.
(11) Trost has noted the formation of a tetrahydrofuran side product in the Heck
arylation of an enyne bearing a secondary OH group and suggested a
mechanism of intermolecular carbopalladation to account for its formation.
See: Trost, B. M.; Pfrengle, W.; Urabe, H.; Dumas, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
1992, 114, 1923-1924.
(12) Two other possible mechanisms were ruled out on the basis of product
stereochemistry. Product formation via a Wacker-type mechanism in which
the alkene was activated for nucleophilic attack of the tethered alkene was
discounted as this pathway would afford products resulting from anti-
addition of the oxygen and the arene. Product formation via an intermo-
lecular Heck-type carbopalladation followed by C-O bond-forming
reductive elimination was ruled out on the basis of the high regioselectivity
for five-membered ring formation and also on the basis of the fact that
alcohols substituted at C1 provided trans-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans
with excellent (>20:1) diastereoselectivity. Intermolecular carbopalladation
reactions of terminal alkenes typically proceed with only 5-7:1 regiose-
lectivity, and it is unlikely that high stereoselectivity for the formation of
trans-2,5-disubstituted products would be obtained if the stereochemistry-
determining event were an intermolecular reaction that occurred two atoms
away from the substrate stereocenter. For further discussion, see refs 4
and 5.
(13) At the time of our preliminary communication no examples of alkene syn-
insertions into Pd-O bonds had been reported. However, in elegant recent
studies, Hayashi has provided evidence for the syn-insertion of an alkene
into a Pd-O bond in the conversion of an o-allylphenol derivative to a
tetrahydrodibenzofuran. See: Hayashi, T.; Yamasaki, K.; Mimura, M.;
Uozumi, Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 3036-3037.
(14) Bryndza has described the stoichiometric insertion of tetrafluoroethylene
into the Pt-O bond of (dppe)Pt(Me)(OMe). See: (a) Bryndza, H. E.
Organometallics 1985, 4, 406-408. (b) Bryndza, H. E.; Calabrese, J. C.;
Wreford, S. S. Organometallics 1984, 3, 1603-1604.
Results
Stereoselective Synthesis of 1′-Substituted Tetrahydro-
furans from γ-Hydroxy Internal Acyclic Alkenes. As de-
(15) (a) Matsunaga, P. T.; Hillhouse, G. L.; Rheingold, A. L. J. Am. Chem.
Soc. 1993, 115, 2075-2077. (b) Koo, K.; Hillhouse, G. L. Organometallics
1998, 17, 2924-2925.
(16) (a) Dick, A. R.; Kampf, J. W.; Sanford, M. S. Organometallics 2005, 24,
482-485. (b) Williams, B. S.; Goldberg, K. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001,
123, 2576-2587. (c) Stahl, S. S.; Labinger, J. A.; Bercaw, J. E. Angew.
Chem., Int. Ed. 1998, 37, 2180-2192.
(17) For examples of sp2 C-O bond-forming reductive elimination from
palladium(II) aryl alkoxide complexes, see: (a) Widenhoefer, R. A.;
Buchwald, S. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 6504-6411 and references
therein. (b) Mann, G.; Hartwig, J. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 13109-
13110.
(18) For recent examples of catalytic reactions that may involve sp3 C-O bond-
forming reductive elimination from Pd(IV), see: Desai, L. V.; Hull, K. L.;
Sanford, M. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 9542-9543.
(19) Both mechanistic pathways (A and B) would be expected to provide high
selectivity for syn-addition products unless other competing mechanistic
pathways are operating simultaneously.
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J. AM. CHEM. SOC. VOL. 127, NO. 47, 2005 16469