{{Short description|Redistribution of alkyne chemical bonds}} thumb|upright=1.8|Reaction scheme of the alkyne metathesis - substituents are colored '''Alkyne metathesis''' is an organic reaction that entails the redistribution of alkyne chemical bonds. The reaction requires metal catalysts. Mechanistic studies show that the conversion proceeds via the intermediacy of metal alkylidyne complexes.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Alkyne Metathesis |author= Fürstner, A. |author2= Davies, P. W. |s2cid= 40674318 |journal= Chemical Communications |year= 2005 |issue= 18 |pages= 2307–2320 |doi= 10.1039/b419143a|pmid= 15877114}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Alkyne Metathesis|author1=Daesung Lee|author2=Ivan Volchkov|author3=Sang Young Yun|editor1-first=Jin K|editor1-last=Cha|doi=10.1002/0471264180.or102.02|journal=Organic Reactions|year=2020|pages=613–931|isbn=9780471264187|s2cid=243319519}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cui |first1=Mingxu |last2=Jia |first2=Guochen |date=2022-07-20 |title=Organometallic Chemistry of Transition Metal Alkylidyne Complexes Centered at Metathesis Reactions |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.2c01192 |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |language=en |volume=144 |issue=28 |pages=12546–12566 |doi=10.1021/jacs.2c01192 |pmid=35793547 |bibcode=2022JAChS.14412546C |issn=0002-7863|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The reaction is related to olefin metathesis.

==History== right|thumb|The Mortreux system consists of molybdenum hexacarbonyl resorcinol catalyst system. The phenyl and ''p''-methylphenyl substituents on the alkyne group are scrambled 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&nbsp;°C. In 1974 Mortreux reported the use of a homogeneous catalyst—molybdenum hexacarbonyl at 160&nbsp;°C—to observe an alkyne scrambling phenomenon, in which an unsymmetrical alkyne equilibrates with its two symmetrical derivatives.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Mo[N(''t''-Bu)(Ar)]<sub>3</sub> Complexes As Catalyst Precursors: In Situ Activation and Application to Metathesis Reactions of Alkynes and Diynes |author= Fürstner, A. |author2= Mathes, C. |author3= Lehmann, C. W. |journal= J. Am. Chem. Soc. |year= 1999 |volume= 121 |issue= 40 |pages= 9453–9454 |doi= 10.1021/ja991340r|bibcode= 1999JAChS.121.9453F |hdl= 11858/00-001M-0000-0024-1DF5-F |hdl-access= free}}</ref> The Mortreux system consists of the molybdenum precatalyst molybdenum hexacarbonyl Mo(CO)<sub>6</sub> and resorcinol cocatalyst. In 1975, T. J. Katz proposed a metal carbyne (i.e. alkylidyne) and a metallacyclobutadiene as intermediates. In 1981, R. R. Schrock characterized several metallacyclobutadiene complexes that were catalytically active.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Tungsten(VI) neopentylidyne complexes |last1= Schrock|first1=R. R. |last2= Clark|first2=D. N. |last3= Sancho|first3=J. |last4= Wengrovius|first4=J. H. |last5= Rocklage|first5=S. M. |last6= Pedersen|first6=S. F. |journal= Organometallics |year= 1982 |volume= 1 |issue= 12|pages= 1645–1651 |doi= 10.1021/om00072a018}}</ref>

:500px|Alkyne metathesis mechanism through a metallacyclobutadiene intermediate

Molybdenum catalyst with aniline-derived ligands are highly effective catalysts.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Metathesis of alkynes by a molybdenum hexacarbonyl–resorcinol catalyst |journal= Chemical Communications |year= 1974 |issue= 19 |pages= 786–787 |doi= 10.1039/C39740000786 |first=Andre |last=Mortreux}}</ref> <gallery caption="Catalysts for alkyne metathesis" widths="180px" heights="120px"> Alkyne cat furstner.png Canopy catalyst, 2020.png|"canopy catalysts" Rhenium catalyst 2020.png|Air stable low-valent d2 rhenium alkylidyne Modified tungsten complex.png|various Schrock-based alkyne metathesis catalysts </gallery>

The so-called "canopy catalysts" containing tripodal ligands are particularly active and easy to prepare.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hillenbrand |first1=Julius |last2=Fürstner |first2=Alois |title="Canopy Catalysts" for Alkyne Metathesis: Molybdenum Alkylidyne Complexes with a Tripodal Ligand Framework |journal=J. Am. Chem. Soc. |year=2020 |volume=142 |issue=25 |pages=11279–11294 |doi=10.1021/jacs.0c04742 |pmid=32463684 |pmc=7322728 |bibcode=2020JAChS.14211279H }}</ref> <ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thompson |first1=Richard |last2=Lee |first2=Semin |title=Siloxide Podand Ligand as a Scaffold for Molybdenum-Catalyzed Alkyne Metathesis and Isolation of a Dynamic Metallatetrahedrane Intermediate |journal=Organometallics |year=2019 |volume=38 |issue=21 |pages=4054–4059 |doi=10.1021/acs.organomet.9b00430|s2cid=208749731 }}</ref> Thorough experimental and computational studies showed that metallatetrahedranes were isolable but dynamic species within the catalytic cycle.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thompson |first1=Richard |last2=Lee |first2=Semin |title=Impact of Ligands and Metals on the Formation of Metallacyclic Intermediates and a Nontraditional Mechanism for Group VI Alkyne Metathesis Catalysts |journal=J. Am. Chem. Soc. |year=2021 |volume=143 |issue=24 |pages=9026–9039 |doi=10.1021/jacs.1c01843|issn=0002-7863|pmid=34110130 |pmc=8227475 |bibcode=2021JAChS.143.9026T }}</ref> Alkyne metathesis catalyst have also been developed using rhenium(V) complexes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cui |first1=Mingxu |last2=Jia |first2=Guochen |title=Robust Alkyne Metathesis Catalyzed by Air Stable d<sup>2</sup> Re(V) Alkylidyne Complexes |journal=J. Am. Chem. Soc. |year=2020 |volume=142 |issue=31 |pages=13339–13344 |doi=10.1021/jacs.0c06581 |pmid=32673485 |bibcode=2020JAChS.14213339C |s2cid=220608736 |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jacs.0c06581|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Such catalysts are air stable and tolerant of diverse functional groups, including carboxylic acids.

==Catalyst degradation== Typical degradation pathways for these catalysts include hydrolysis and oxidation.

Dimerization of the alkylidyne units remains possible, as can be seen from complex 28, which was isolated in small amounts. In addition to the decomposition pathways by bimolecular collision or hydrolysis, Schrock alkylidyne complexes degrade upon attempted metathesis of terminal alkynes. The critical step occurs after formation of the metallacycle and consists of a transannular C-H activation with formation of a deprotio-metallacyclobutadiene and concomitant loss of one alkoxide ligand. This reaction course remains viable for the new alkylidynes with silanolate ligands. Specifically, compound 29 could be isolated upon addition of 1,10-phenanthroline. As a result, terminal alkynes can not be metathesized under existing catalysis system with similar efficiency.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Coutelier |first1=Olivier |title=Terminal Alkyne Metathesis: A Further Step Towards Selectivity |journal=Adv. Synth. Catal. |year=2006 |volume=348 |issue=15 |page=2038 |doi=10.1002/adsc.200606116 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00108184/file/ASC_Terminalalkynemetathesis.pdf }}</ref>

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In practice, 5 Å MS is used as butyne scavenger to shift the equilibrium to products.

== Ring closing alkyne metathesis== === General === Alkyne metathesis can be used in ring-closing operations and RCAM stands for ring closing alkyne metathesis. The olfactory molecule civetone can be synthesised from a di-alkyne. After ring closure the new triple bond is stereoselectively reduced with hydrogen and the Lindlar catalyst in order to obtain the ''Z''-alkene (cyclic ''E''-alkenes are available through the Birch reduction). An important driving force for this type of reaction is the expulsion of small gaseous molecules such as acetylene or but-2-yne. :400px|Synthesis of civetone. Step 1 alkyne metathesis, step 2 lindlar reduction

The same two-step procedure was used in the synthesis of the naturally occurring cyclophane turriane. :[[Image:Alkyne turriane.png|400px|Turriane synthesis. Step 1 alkyne metathesis, step 2 Lindlar reduction, PMB = ''para''-methoxybenzyl protecting group. Microwave assisted reaction takes reaction time down from 6 hours to 5 minutes]]

Trisamidomolybdenum(VI) alkylidyne complexes catalyze alkyne metathesis.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Preparation of a Trisamidomolybdenum(VI) Propylidyne Complex |author1=Wei Zhang |author2=Yunyi Lu |author3=Jeffrey S. Moore |journal=Org. Synth.|year=2007|volume=84|page=163 |doi=10.15227/orgsyn.084.0163}}{{cite journal|title=Preparation of a Carbazole-Based Macrocycle via Precipitation-driven Alkyne Metathesis |author1=Wei Zhang |author2=Hyeon Mo Cho |author3=Jeffrey S. Moore |s2cid=93992722 |journal=Org. Synth.|year=2007|volume=84|page=177 |doi=10.15227/orgsyn.084.0177}}</ref>

=== Natural product synthesis === RCAM can also be used as strategic step in natural product total synthesis.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fürstner |first=Alois |date=2021-09-29 |title=The Ascent of Alkyne Metathesis to Strategy-Level Status |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |language=en |volume=143 |issue=38 |pages=15538–15555 |doi=10.1021/jacs.1c08040 |issn=0002-7863 |pmc=8485352 |pmid=34519486|bibcode=2021JAChS.14315538F }}</ref> Some examples show the power of these catalysts. For example, RCAM can serve as key step in total synthesis of marine prostanoid hybridalactone, where epoxide, internal olefin and ester are tolerated.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hickmann |first1=Volker |last2=Fürstner |first2=Alois |title=Catalysis-Based and Protecting-Group-Free Total Syntheses of the Marine Oxylipins Hybridalactone and the Ecklonialactones A, B, and C |journal=J. Am. Chem. Soc. |year=2011 |volume=133 |issue=34 |pages=13471–13480 |doi=10.1021/ja204027a |pmid=21780792 |bibcode=2011JAChS.13313471H |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja204027a|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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Another example shows a highly functionalized enyne, which displays a rare thiazolidinone unit, can be metathesized under Mo(III) catalyst, neither this unusual sulfur-containing heterocycle nor the elimination-prone tertiary glycoside posed any problem in the ring-closing step.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fürstner |first1=Alois |title=Total Syntheses of the Actin-Binding Macrolides Latrunculin A, B, C, M, S and 16-epi-Latrunculin B |journal=Chem. Eur. J. |year=2007 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=115–134 |doi=10.1002/chem.200601135 |pmid=17091520 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

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The total synthesis of spirastrellolide F employs alkyne metathesis in one step.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fürstner |first1=Alois |title=Second-Generation Total Synthesis of Spirastrellolide F Methyl Ester: The Alkyne Route |journal=Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. |year=2011 |volume=50 |issue=37 |pages=8739–8744 |doi=10.1002/anie.201103270 |pmid=21793139 |s2cid=205364111 }}</ref> The molecular frame of this potent phosphatase inhibitor is decorated with no less than 21 stereogenic centers and features a labile skipped diene in the side chain. Its macrocyclic core incorporates a tetrahydropyran ring, a spiroketal unit, as well as a highly unusual chlorinated bis-spiroketal motif. Specifically, a sequence of RCAM coupled with a gold-catalyzed acetalization successfully build the polycyclic system at the late stage of the synthesis.

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==Nitrile-alkyne cross-metathesis== By replacing a tungsten alkylidyne by a tungsten nitride and introducing a nitrile '''Nitrile-Alkyne Cross-Metathesis''' or '''NACM''' couples two nitrile groups together to a new alkyne. Nitrogen is collected by use of a sacrificial alkyne (elemental N<sub>2</sub> is not formed):<ref>{{cite journal |title= Catalytic Nitrile-Alkyne Cross-Metathesis |author= Geyer, A. M. |author2= Gdula, R. K. |author3= Wiedner, E. S. |author4= Johnson, M. J. A. |journal= J. Am. Chem. Soc. |year= 2007 |volume= 129 |issue= 13 |pages= 3800–3801 |doi= 10.1021/ja0693439|pmid= 17355136 |bibcode= 2007JAChS.129.3800G }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Nitrile-Alkyne Cross-Metathesis |author= Ritter, S. |date= March 26, 2007 |work= Chemical & Engineering News |url= http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/85/i13/8513notw7.html }}</ref>

:400px|Nitrile-alkyne cross-metathesis

==See also== *Olefin metathesis, redistribution of alkene bonds *Alkane metathesis, redistribution of alkane bonds

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.organic-chemistry.org/Highlights/2005/28March.shtm Alkyne Metathesis in Organic Synthesis]

Category:Carbon-carbon bond forming reactions