Bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(III) chloride, also known as the Nugent–RajanBabu reagent, is the organotitanium compound which exists as a dimer with the formula [(C5H5)2TiCl]2. It is an air sensitive green solid. The complex finds specialized use in synthetic organic chemistry as a single electron reductant.
In the presence of a suitable solvent that can act as a two-electron donor ("solv"), such as an ether like tetrahydrofuran, the dimer separates and forms a chemical equilibrium between the forms [(C5H5)2TiCl] and [(C5H5)2Ti(solv)Cl]. It is these forms that are responsible for much of the chemical properties of this reagent, which is also the reason that the substance is sometimes written as [(C5H5)2TiCl] or [Cp2TiCl], where Cp− represents the cyclopentadienyl anion.
Bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(III) chloride effects the anti-Markovnikov opening of epoxides to a free radical intermediate and is tolerant of alcohols and some basic nitrogen functional groups, however it is sensitive to oxidizing functional groups such as nitro groups.[7] As can be seen in the above illustration, subsequent reaction proceeds along a pathway determined by added reagents and reaction conditions:[8]
In the presence of hydrogen atom donors, such as 1,4-cyclohexadiene,[9]tBuSH,[10] water,[11] the intermediate is protonated to an alcohol product. This transformation provides the complementary regioisomer to that of an epoxide opening using a metal hydride;[7] in particular, the use of lithium aluminium hydride to form the Markovnikov alcohol and particularly axial cyclohexanols from epoxycyclohexanes is well known.[12][13]
Reaction of the intermediate with a second equivalent of Cp2TiCl traps the radical as an alkyl-titanium(IV) species which can either undergo β-hydride elimination (favoured for 3° species) or dehydration via β-alkoxy elimination; in both cases an olefin product is generated.[7][8][14]
The radical intermediate can also be trapped intramolecularly when an appropriate acceptor moiety (such as an alkene, alkyne, carbonyl, etc.) is present in the epoxide. Synthesis of natural products with multiple ring systems have taken advantage of this pathway.[14] Intermolecular trapping of acrylates and acrylonitriles with radicals derived from epoxides is possible,[15] as well as conjunctive intra-intermolecular variants.[16]
The reagent has been used in the synthesis of over 20 natural products.[6][7][14]Ceratopicanol is a naturally-occurring sesquiterpene and its carbon skeleton is incorporated with the structures of both anislactone A and merrilactone A.[8][14] A regioselective epoxide opening and 5-exo dig radical cyclization to forge the core of ceratopicanol.[14][18] Addition of a hydrochloride salt to the reaction facilitates release of the oxygen-bound titanium(IV) intermediate, allowing the reagent to be recycled.[19]
Bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(III) chloride also effects both Pinacol[28][29] and McMurry[30] couplings of aldehydes and ketones. Barbier-type reactivity is observed between aldehydes or ketones and allyl electrophiles under catalytic conditions.[31] The proposed mechanism involves titanium(III)-mediated generation of an allyl radical species which intercepts a titanium(III)-coordinated carbonyl. Another application involves the single electron reduction of enones to generate allylic radicals which can undergo intermolecular trapping with acrylonitriles to afford Michael type adducts.[32] Benzylic and allylic alcohols can be de-oxygenated under mild conditions using super-stoichiometric Cp2TiCl, however the reported scope for aliphatic alcohols is currently limited.[30]
Mechanism
The dimeric titanium(III) complex reversibly dissociates to the monomer Cp2TiCl. This 15 electron species is Lewis acidic and thus binds epoxides and carbonyl compounds.[33] The complex transfers a single electron to the coordinated substrate generating an alkyl centered radical and an oxygen bound titanium(IV) species. This process is driven by the strength of the titanium-oxygen bond, as well as strain release in the case of epoxides.[34]
^RajanBabu, T. V.; Nugent, William A. (1994). "Selective generation of free radicals from epoxides using a transition-metal radical. A powerful new tool for organic synthesis". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 116 (3): 986–997. doi:10.1021/ja00082a021.
^Barrero, Alejandro F.; Oltra, J. Enrique; Cuerva, Juan M.; Rosales, Antonio (2002). "Effects of solvents and water in Ti(III)-mediated radical cyclizations of epoxygermacrolides. Straightforward synthesis and absolute stereochemistry of (+)-3α-hydroxyreynosin and related eudesmanolides". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 67 (8): 2566–2571. doi:10.1021/jo016277e. PMID11950302.
^Rickborn, Bruce; Quartucci, Joe (1964). "Stereochemistry and mechanism of lithium aluminum hydride and mixed hydride reduction of 4-t-butylcyclohexene oxide". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 29 (11): 3185–3188. doi:10.1021/jo01034a015.
^Rickborn, Bruce; Lamke, Wallace E. (1967). "Reduction of epoxides. II. The lithium aluminum hydride and mixed hydride reduction of 3-methylcyclohexene oxide". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 32 (3): 537–539. doi:10.1021/jo01278a005.
^Clive, D. L. J.; Magnuson, Steven R.; Manning, Hartford W.; Mayhew, Darrin L. (1996). "Cyclopentannulation by an iterative process of sequential Claisen rearrangement and enyne radical closure: Routes to triquinane and propellane systems and use in the synthesis of (±)-ceratopicanol". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 61 (6): 2095–2108. doi:10.1021/jo951930h.
^ abNgo, Quoc Anh; Roussi, Fanny; Cormier, Anthony; Thoret, Sylviane; Knossow, Marcel; Guénard, Daniel; Guéritte, Françoise (2009). "Synthesis and biological evaluation of Vinca alkaloids and phomopsin hybrids". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 52 (1): 134–142. doi:10.1021/jm801064y. PMID19072542.
^ abHardouin, Christophe; Doris, Eric; Rousseau, Bernard; Mioskowski, Charles (2002). "Concise synthesis of anhydrovinblastine from leurosine". Organic Letters. 4 (7): 1151–1153. doi:10.1021/ol025560c. PMID11922805.
^Barrero, Alejandro F.; Rosales, Antonio; Cuerva, Juan M.; Gansäuer, Andreas; Oltra, J. Enrique (2003). "Titanocene-catalysed, selective reduction of ketones in aqueous media. A safe, mild, inexpensive procedure for the synthesis of secondary alcohols via radical chemistry". Tetrahedron Letters. 44 (5): 1079–1082. doi:10.1016/S0040-4039(02)02703-X.
^Gansäuer, Andreas (1997). "Pinacol coupling of aromatic aldehydes catalysed by a titanocene complex: A transition metal catalysed radical reaction". Chemical Communications. 1997 (5): 457–458. doi:10.1039/A608438I.
^Paradas, Miguel; Campaña, Araceli G.; Estévez, Rosa E.; Cienfuegos, Luis Álvarez de; Jiménez, Tania; Robles, Rafael; Cuerva, Juan M.; Oltra, J. Enrique (2009). "Unexpected TiIII/Mn-promoted pinacol coupling of ketones". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 74 (9): 3616–3619. doi:10.1021/jo9005238. PMID19334701.
^ abDiéguez, Horacio R.; López, Armando; Domingo, Victoriano; Arteaga, Jesús F.; Dobado, José A.; Herrador, M. Mar; Moral, José F. Quílez del; Barrero, Alejandro F. (2010). "Weakening C—O bonds: Ti(III), a new reagent for alcohol deoxygenation and carbonyl coupling olefination". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 132 (1): 254–259. doi:10.1021/ja906083c. PMID20000601.
^Rosales, Antonio; Oller-López, Juan L.; Justicia, José; Gansäuer, Andreas; Oltra, J. Enrique; Cuerva, Juan M. (2004). "Unprecedented Barbier-type reactions catalysed by titanocene(III)". Chemical Communications. 2004 (22): 2628–2629. doi:10.1039/B411173G. PMID15543313.