Alkyne metathesis
Alkyne metathesis is an organic reaction involving the redistribution of alkyne chemical bonds. This reaction is closely related to olefin metathesis. Metal-catalyzed alkyne metathesis was first described in 1968 by Bailey, et al. The Bailey system utilized a mixture of tungsten and silicon oxides at temperatures as high as 450 °C. In 1974 Mortreux reported the use of a homogeneous catalyst—molybdenum hexacarbonyl at 160 °C—to observe an alkyne scrambling phenomenon, in which an unsymmetrical alkyne equilibrates with its two symmetrical derivatives.
The Mortreux system consists of the molybdenum catalyst molybdenum hexacarbonyl Mo(CO)6 and resorcinol cocatalyst. In 1975 T.J. Katz proposed a metal carbyne and a metallacyclobutadiene as an intermediate and in 1981 R.R. Schrock characterized several metallacyclobutadiene complexes that were catalytically active.
The Schrock catalyst system tris(t-butoxy)(2,2-dimethylpropylidyne)tungsten(VI) is unreactive towards alkenes. On the other hand, Fischer carbenes have no value in alkyne or alkene metathesis.
The Schrock catalyst is commercially available and is prepared by amidation of tungsten tetrachloride with lithium dimethylamide to a W2(NMe2)6 which undergoes alcoholysis by tert-butoxy groups with tert-butanol.
This alkylidyne complex undergoes a metathesis with neoheptyne to give the final product. In 2001, Fürstner reported a new molybdenum catalyst replacing alkoxide with aniline ligands.
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