Transition metal complex-catalyzed selective cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds: A beta-carbon elimination reaction

The development of efficient methods for the selective cleavage of carbon-c arbon bonds catalyzed by transition metal complexes is a central and challe nging subject of modern organic synthesis. Alkene insertion into metal-alky l bonds has been recognized as a fundamental step in many catalytic reactio ns. The reverse reaction, i.e., carbon-carbon bond cleavage via beta-carbon elimination, has recently received growing attention. Since Watson and Roe reported the first example of beta-methyl elimination of (C5Me5)(2)LuCH2CH (CH3)(2), several examples of reversible beta-alkyl insertion-elimination a t both early and late transition metal centers have been reported. Recently , the reactions which involve catalytic carbon-carbon bond cleavage via bet a-alkyl elimination are in progress. Here, both stoichiometric and catalyti c carbon-carbon bond cleavages via beta-alkyl elimination as a key step of the reaction are summarized from the synthetic, industrial and environmenta l point of view.