Transformation of the sp2 Carbanion to Carbene with Subsequent 1,1-Migratory Insertion and Nucleophilic Substitution in Rare-Earth Metal Chemistry

The development of Fischer-type electrophilic carbene chemistry with early transition metals has been a great challenge due to the fact that such metals in their high oxidation states lack the d electrons to stabilize the electrophilic carbene. Herein, we disclose the first experimental and theoretical findings of in situ transformation of an sp2 carbanion to a Fischer-type electrophilic carbene with rare-earth metals in their high oxidation state with a d0 electron via electron transfer. The carbene may undergo 1,1-migratory insertion into an adjacent RE-C(sp3) bond, and an unprecedented ring opening of the indole ring of the ligand occurs when the carbenes undergo nucleophilic substitution with a special organolithium reagent o-Me2NC6H4CH2Li. The key to success is the uniquely tailored novel ligand systems featuring a suitable conjugate building block (-C═C-C═N) bearing an sp2 carbanion connected to the rare-earth metal center.