Metathesis of a U(V) imido complex: a route to a terminal U(V) sulfide

Herein, we report the synthesis and characterisation of the first terminal uranium(V) sulfide and a related UV trithiocarbonate complex supported by sterically demanding tris(tert-butoxy)siloxide ligands. The reaction of the potassium-bound UV imido complex, [U(NAd){OSi(OtBu)3}4K] (4), with CS2 led to the isolation of perthiodicarbonate [K(18c6)]2[C2S6] (6), with concomitant formation of the UIV complex, [U{OSi(OtBu)3}4], and S[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NAd. In contrast, the reaction of the UV imido complex, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][U(NAd){OSi(OtBu)3}4] (5), with one or two equivalents of CS2 afforded the trithiocarbonate complex, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][U(CS3){OSi(OtBu)3}4] (7), which was isolated in 57% yield, with concomitant elimination of the admantyl thiocyanate product, S[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NAd. Complex 7 is likely formed by fast nucleophilic addition of a UV terminal sulfide intermediate, resulting from the slow metathesis reaction of the imido complex with CS2, to a second CS2 molecule. The addition of a solution of H2S in thf (1.3 eq.) to 4 afforded the first isolable UV terminal sulfide complex, [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][US{OSi(OtBu)3}4] (8), in 41% yield. Based on DFT calculations, triple-bond character with a strong covalent interaction is suggested for the U–S bond in complex 7.

CO2 conversion to isocyanate via multiple N–Si bond cleavage at a bulky uranium(III) complex

Lucile Sylvie Danielle Chatelain, Marinella Mazzanti

The reaction of the sterically saturated uranium(III) tetrasilylamido complex [K(18c6)][U(N(SiMe3)(2))(4)] with CO2 leads to CO2 insertion into the U-N bond affording the stable U(IV) isocyanate complex [K(18c6)]U(N(SiMe3)(2))(3)(NCO)(2) that was crystallographically characterized. DFT studies indicate that the reaction involves the [2+2] cyclo-addition of a double bond of O=CO to the U-N(SiMe3)(2) bond and proceeds to the final product through multiple silyl migration steps.

Royal Society of Chemistry2015

New Vinylation and Alkynylation Strategies with Hypervalent Iodine Reagents and Diazo Compounds

Guillaume Dominique Pisella

The development of a sequential copper-catalyzed oxy-alkynylation/intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition of allenes and arenes was investigated at first. This one-pot protocol allowed the construction of complex polycylic architectures with high efficiency from aryldiazo esters and ethynylbenziodoxolone reagents (EBX). The mild reaction conditions (23 to 90 Â°C) for the dearomatization step was unusual compared to previous literature reports and DFT computations showed that substituents on the aryl ring resulted in favorable dispersive interactions, decreasing the activation energy barrier of the cycloaddition. The bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene products were successfully applied as ligands for rhodium. The prepared diene-rhodium complexes were extensively characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Finally, an enantiopure ligand having a pseudo C2-symmetry was used in the conjugate addition of phenylboronic acid to cyclohexenone and furnished the Î²-functionalized ketone in good yield and with high enantioselectivity.The vinylation reactions of diazo compounds are scarce. A successful copper-catalyzed vinylation of diazo compounds with vinylbenziodoxolone reagents (VBX) as partners was reported. The transformation allowed an unprecedented gem-oxy-vinylation at the carbene center, providing functionalized Î±-vinyl-hydroxyacid derivatives in high atom and step economy. The products were obtained in excellent yields and contained synthetically versatile functional groups for post-modifications. The development of an enantioselective version of this reaction was limited and further investigations will be required to obtain high enantioselectivities. In addition, a practical synthesis of alkyl-substituted VBX reagents has been established; VBX reagents being limited to aryl substituents until then. Multicomponent reactions provide efficient means to rapidly access molecular diversity. A copper(I)-catalyzed threeâcomponent reaction utilizing diazo compounds, alcohols as nucleophiles and vinyl- or ethynylbenziodoxole reagents, was successfully developed. The transformation allowed the synthesis of highly functionalized allyl and propargyl ethers. The scope is broad, and extensive variations of the three partners of the reaction is possible, leading to maximal structural diversity. Extension of this work to N-nucleophiles was not as straightforward as anticipated, but good results could be obtained with anilines, trifluorodiazoethane and EBX reagents as components.Questions about the reaction mechanisms of the copper-catalyzed difunctionalizations of diazo compounds with VBX and EBX reagents have been frequent all-along this research work. Preliminary results of in-depth mechanistic investigations have been obtained. The initial assumption of an internal alkyne transfer step was first invalidated by DFT computations and was latter refuted experimentally. A complexation between the carboxylate of ethynylbenziodoxolone reagents and the copper catalyst was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and contrasted to a alkyne-copper interaction observed with ethynylbenziodoxole reagents. These two possible complexes were supported by DFT calculations. Finally, non-classical sigmoidal kinetic profiles of the oxy-alkynylation reaction were obtained by in situ 19F NMR monitoring and the Cu-EBX complex is presumably involved in the observed induction periods.

EPFL2021

New Vinylation and Alkynylation Strategies with Hypervalent Iodine Reagents and Diazo Compounds

Guillaume Dominique Pisella

EPFL2021