A selection of useful or unusual transition metal mediated reactions from the chemical literature of 1998 are reviewed below. Some reactions also involve transition metal catalysis in addition to the stoichiometric transition metal component. In all cases, the reactions are organised by the transition metal group of the stoichiometric component with further subdivisions by reaction class or intermediates.
ApplicationsScandium, ytterbium and the lanthanides Stoichiometric applications of these metals are scarce. However, the dehydrogenative coupling of aromatic aldimines has been reported to occur on treatment with Yb metal and then an aromatic aldehyde as a hydrogen acceptor. Thus, for example, treatment of aldimine 1 with Yb and then 1-naphthaldehyde afforded dimine 2 in 81% yield (Scheme 1).
Titanium, zirconium and hafniumOlefination. Olefinations involving dithioacetal desulfurisation by titanocene reagents has been reviewed.Metallocenes. Zirconacyclopentadiene intermediates, formed by reaction of zirconocene with acetylenes continue to be of interest. For example they may be crosscoupled with 3-iodopropenoates to afford cyclopentadienylacetate derivatives. Alternatively, the two C-Zr bonds can be selectively cleaved by halogenating agents such as NCS, NBS or I to afford 1,4-dihalogeno-1,3-dienes in good yield. Furthermore, reaction with 2-iodothiophene in the presence of CuCl and DMPU furnishes thienyl dienes. The intriguing cyclophane 4, in which each pyridine is anti (X-ray crystallography) was prepared by reaction of zirconocene with bisacetylene 3 (Scheme 2). The