Site-Specific Alkene Hydromethylation via Protonolysis of Titanacyclobutanes

Methyl groups are ubiquitous in biologically active molecules. Thus, new tactics to introduce this alkyl fragment into polyfunctional structures are of significant interest. With this goal in mind, a direct method for the Markovnikov hydromethylation of alkenes was developed by FSU researchers. This method exploits the degenerate metathesis reaction between the titanium methylidene unveiled from Cp2Ti(µ-Cl)(µ-CH2)AlMe2 (Tebbe’s reagent) and unactivated alkenes. Protonolysis of the resulting titanacyclobutanes in situ effects hydromethylation in a chemo-, regio-, and site-selective manner. The broad utility of this method is demonstrated across a series of mono and di-substituted alkenes containing pendant alcohols, ethers, amides, carbamates, and basic amines.

Key Words : Chemical Synthesis