The kinetics of the racemization of 1,3-disubstituted allenes catalyzed by (IPr)AuOTf (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidine) has been investigated. The rate of gold-catalyzed allene racemization obeyed the following second-order rate law: rate = k rac [allene] [Au]. An analysis of the rate of the gold-catalyzed racemization of 1-aryl-1,2-butadienes as a function of allene electron donor ability established moderate depletion of electron density on the C1 allenyl carbon atom in the rate-limiting transition state for racemization. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the rate of racemization of 1-(p-tolyl)-1,2-butadiene established the activation parameters ΔH ⧧ = 8.3 ± 1 kcal mol −1 and ΔS ⧧ = −28 ± 4 eu. These observations were in accord with a mechanism for allene racemization involving turnover-limiting, intermolecular allene exchange followed by rapid allene stereomutation.
■ INTRODUCTIONThe proliferation of gold(I)-catalyzed methods for the functionalization of C−C multiple bonds represents one of the most significant developments in homogeneous catalysis over the past decade. 1 In addition to alkynes, alkenes, and allylic alcohols, allenes have proven to be particularly active and versatile substrates for gold-catalyzed functionalization. 2 Goldcatalyzed transformations of allenes include cycloaddition with alkenes and dienes 3 and hydrofunctionalization with carbon and heteroatom nucleophiles. 4 A distinguishing feature of allenes is the potential for axial chirality, and as such, there has been considerable interest in the gold-catalyzed stereospecific functionalization of enantiomerically enriched chiral allenes. 5 Although high levels of chirality transfer have been realized, efficient chirality transfer is often compromised by concomitant gold-catalyzed allene racemization. 6 Alternatively, we 7 and others 8 have exploited gold(I)-catalyzed allene racemization to realize the stereoconvergent enantioselective hydrofunctionalization of chiral racemic allenes and propargylic acetates.Despite the relevance of allene racemization to the gold(I)-catalyzed functionalization of allenes, our understanding of gold(I)-catalyzed allene racemization has been largely restricted to the information gleaned from computational analyses. 9 Toward an experimentally grounded understanding of the coordination chemistry of gold allene complexes, we have investigated the dynamic behavior of well-defined cationic gold π-allene complexes. 10 In particular, variable-temperature NMR analysis of the gold(I) π-4,5-nonadiene complex {(P)Au[η 2 -nPr(H)CCC(H)n-Pr]} + SbF 6 − (P = P(t-Bu) 2 o-biphenyl) and related compounds established facile π-face exchange (ΔG ⧧ 298 < 10 kcal mol −1 ) through chiral η 1 -allene intermediates (Scheme 1). In comparison, allene stereomutation was not detected prior to the onset of intermolecular allene exchange with an energy barrier of ΔG ⧧ 298 ≥ 17.4 kcal mol −1 .We subsequently investigated the kinetics of the racemization of axially chiral 1-aryl-1,2-butadienes catalyzed by c...