Mechanism of the Selective Fe-Catalyzed Arene Carbon-Hydrogen Bond Functionalization

The complete chemoselective functionalization of aromatic C(sp(2))-H bonds of benzene and alkyl benzenes by carbene insertion from ethyl diazoacetate was unknown until the recent discovery of an iron-based catalytic system toward such transformation. A Fe(II) complex bearing the pytacn ligand (pytac...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Postils, Verònica, Rodríguez, Mònica, Sabenya, Gerard, Conde Alcántara, Ana Isabel, Díaz Requejo, María Mar, Pérez Romero, Pedro José, Costas, Miquel, Solà, Miquel, Luis, Josep M.
Tipo de documento: artigo
Data de publicação:2018
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositório:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Idioma:inglês
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/15970
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10272/15970
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Carbene transfer
Iron catalysis
C-H activation
C(sp(2))-H functionalization
DFT calculations
Descrição
Resumo:The complete chemoselective functionalization of aromatic C(sp(2))-H bonds of benzene and alkyl benzenes by carbene insertion from ethyl diazoacetate was unknown until the recent discovery of an iron-based catalytic system toward such transformation. A Fe(II) complex bearing the pytacn ligand (pytacn = L1 = 1-(2-pyridylmethyl)-4,7-dimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) transferred the CHCO2Et unit exclusively to the C(sp(2))-H bond. The cycloheptatriene compound commonly observed through Buchner reaction or, when employing alkyl benzenes, the corresponding derivatives from C(sp(3))-H functionalization are not formed. We herein present a combined experimental and computational mechanistic study to explain this exceptional selectivity. Our computational study reveals that the key step is the formation of an enol-like substrate, which is the precursor of the final insertion products. Experimental evidences based on substrate probes and isotopic labeling experiments in favor of this mechanistic interpretation are provided.