James V. Morey

Mixed alkylamido aluminate as a kinetically controlled base.

The mechanisms by which directed ortho metalation (DoM) and postmetalation processes occur when aromatic compounds are treated with mixed alkylamido aluminate i-Bu3Al(TMP)Li (TMP-aluminate 1; TMP = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide) have been investigated by computation and X-ray diffraction. Sequential reaction of ArC(=O)N(i-Pr)2 (Ar = phenyl, 1-naphthyl) with t-BuLi and i-Bu3Al in tetrahydrofuran affords [2-(i-Bu3Al)C(m)H(n)C(=O)N(i-Pr)2]Li x 3 THF (m = 6, n = 4, 7; m = 10, n = 6, 8). These data advance the structural evidence for ortho-aluminated functionalized aromatics and represent model intermediates in DoM chemistry. Both 7 and 8 are found to resist reaction with HTMP, suggesting that ortho-aluminated aromatics are incapable of exhibiting stepwise deprotonative reactivity of the type recently shown to pertain to the related field of ortho zincation chemistry. Density functional theory calculations corroborate this view and reveal the existence of substantial kinetic barriers both to one-step alkyl exchange and to amido-alkyl exchange after an initial amido deprotonation reaction by aluminate bases. Rationalization of this dichotomy comes from an evaluation of the inherent Lewis acidities of the Al and Zn centers. As a representative synthetic application of this high kinetic reactivity of the TMP-aluminate, the highly regioselective deprotonative functionalization of unsymmetrical ketones both under mild conditions and at elevated temperatures is also presented.

Stepwise nucleophilic substitution of manganocene, syntheses and structures of the dimer [CpMn(hpp)]2 and the unusual manganate cage [LiMn(hpp)3]2 (hppH = 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2,a]pyrimidine)

While the nucleophilic substitution reaction of manganocene [Cp(2)Mn] with Li(hpp) (1 : 1 equivalents) gives the neutral dimer [CpMn(hpp)]2 (1), further substitution of the Cp ligands leads to the unusual dimeric manganate cage compound [LiMn(hpp)3]2 (2), generated by the dimerisation of a simple tris-organomanganate monomer.

Synthesis and structure of the li-13 cage [{[o - p(mu-(nbu)-bu-t)](2)li-2}(3)(licl)(6)li(cl/(obu)-bu-n)(0.5)(thf)(7)], containing a [o - p(mu-(nbu)-bu-t)](2)(2-) dianion

The hydrolysis of [ClP(mu-NtBu)]2 with H2O-Et3N in thf, followed by in situ lithiation with nBuLi gives the Li13 cage [[[O-P(mu-NtBu)]2Li2]3(LiCl)6Li(Cl/OnBu)0.5(thf)7], containing a [O-P(mu-NtBu)]2(2-) dianion that is isoelectronic with ligands of the type [(RN)P(mu-NR)]2(2-).