Abstract
The following novel organic syntheses using group VIII metal complexes, especially iron, rhodium and ruthenium, which have been disclosed by the authors are reviewed.
1) Highly selective reduction and carbonylation of a wide variety of organic compounds using alcoholic potassium tetracarbonylhydridoferrate (KHFe (CO) 4 (1)) as a reagent. 2) N-Alkylation and N-heterocyclization using amines and aldehydes mediated by 1, which provides novel synthetic methods for quinolines, benzimidazoles, isoindoles and isoindolines. 3) Rhodium and ruthenium catalyzed N-alkylation and N-heterocyclyzation of amines which involve the activation of N-H and O-H bonds. 4) Synthesis of aldehydes and ketones using K2Fe (CO) 4 reagent or ruthenium catalysts. 5) Ruthenium complex catalyzed novel carbon-carbon bond forming reactions using formyl derivatives which involve the catalytic activation of formyl C-H bond. 6) New methodology for carbonylation of alkyl iodides having β-hydrogens on saturated sp3 carbons is explored. Photo- and electrochemical carbonylations using various group VII and VIII metal complexes smoothly proceed under extremely mild conditions (i.e., at room tempeature and under 1 atm of CO (balloon)). The mechanisms of these novel reactions are suggested.
