The synthesis of new tris(pyrazolyl)borato-substituted
alkenyltungsten complexes and their
oxyfunctionalization was investigated. The derivatives
2a−e of the title compounds were
prepared in 40−70% yield by Grignard reaction of
[Tp*W(O)2Cl] (1) [Tp* =
hydridotris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borato] and subsequent treatment with
molecular oxygen. These
alkenyltungsten complexes, except the homoallyl complex 2b
with a monosubstituted double
bond, displayed a high reactivity toward singlet oxygen
(1O2) to result in the
corresponding
allylic hydroperoxides by the Schenk ene reaction. While in the
photooxygenation of the
homoallyl complex 2a no special influence of the
[Tp*W(O)2] fragment was observed, the
allyl complexes 2c,d afforded stereoselectively
the Z-configured products. Stereocontrol
derives presumably from hyperconjugative stabilization by the W−C
bond (β effect) of the
perepoxide-like transition state. The allylic hydroperoxide,
derived from the 1O2 ene reaction
of the vinyl complex 2e, led by Hock-type cleavage to
methacrolein and the tungstic acid
derivative 9e. Upon photooxygenation in the presence of
titanium tetraisopropoxide, only
the homoallylic complex 2a underwent smoothly
hydroxy-epoxidation. The other alkenyl
complexes were sterically too hindered due to the bulky Tp* ligand.
While the homoallyl
and methallyl complexes 2a,d were quantitatively
epoxidized by dimethyldioxirane (DMD),
the vinyl complex 2e was again too sterically hindered
because of the large [Tp*W(O)2] moiety,
but its epoxide was obtained with m-chloroperbenzoic acid
(mCPBA) as oxidant. In contrast,
when equimolar amounts of methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane
(TFD) were used, the vinyl
and methyl complexes 20e,f were regioselectively
hydroxylated by C−H insertion into a
pyrazolyl ring of the Tp* ligand. The present results demonstrate
that the selective
oxyfunctionalization of the alkenyltungsten complexes 2 by
singlet oxygen and dioxiranes
is controlled by electronic and steric factors of the
[Tp*W(O)2] fragment.