Catalyst Loading Controls Chemoselectivity: Unusual Effect in Rhodium(II) Carbene Insertion Reactions with Tetrahydrofuran

Heterogeneous catalysts for carbene insertion reactions

Copper catalysts supported on silica or silica-alumina are used to promote the insertion of carbenes, coming from methyl phenyldiazoacetate and ethyl diazoacetate, into one C-H bond of THF, constituting the first example of this reaction promoted by a purely inorganic catalyst. Cu/SiO2-Al2O3 leads to better results, regarding yield and catalyst recovery, than with Cu/SiO2. With the former catal...

Chemoselectivity in Transfer-Hydrogenation Reactions

The rhodium carbene route to oxazoles: a remarkable catalyst effect.

Dirhodium tetraacetate catalysed reaction of alpha-diazo-beta-keto-carboxylates and -phosphonates with arenecarboxamides gives 2-aryloxazole-4-carboxylates and 4-phosphonates by carbene N-H insertion and cyclodehydration; in stark contrast, dirhodium tetrakis(heptafluorobutyramide) catalysis results in a dramatic change of regioselectivity to give oxazole-5-carboxylates and 5-phosphonates.

Stereoselective intramolecular 1,3 C-H insertion in Rh(II) carbene reactions.

[reaction: see text] 1,3 C-H insertion has been found to be a predominant reaction pathway in the Rh(II)-mediated reaction of beta-tosyl alpha-diazo carbonyl compounds.

Diastereotopic group selectivity and chemoselectivity of alkylidene carbene reactions on 8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]- oct-6-ene ring systems.

α-Hydroxyalkylidene carbenes, generated from thermolysis of α,β-epoxy-N-aziridinylimines, undergo diastereotopic group selective 1,5 C–H insertion reactions on 2,4-dimethyl-8-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-6-ene ring systems. Protection of a tertiary alcohol at C-3 of the bridged oxabicycle as a trimethylsilyl ether reverses the sense of diastereoselectivity. 1,5 C–H insertion into a methine adjacent to ...