The Potentiality of High Valent Metal Halides of Groups 5-6 in the Activation of Organic Molecules

NbF5, NbCl5 and WCl6 are easily-available compounds, whose direct interaction with organic reactants was scarcely explored up to recent years. Our investigation on this piece of chemistry has provided evidence of unusual features: 1) the cited halides are capable of directing mild conditions transformations, which are not commonly achieved by means of other transition metal compounds [1]; 2) NbF5, NbCl5 and WCl6 can act as one-electron oxidants towards a variety of organic molecules, resulting in the formation of salts containing reactive cations [2]; 3) such salts may be stabilized by inert, high valent metal haloanions which are generated in situ. Examples will be provided with reference to natural -aminoacids (see Figure 1), alkoxy-arenes, alkyl-ureas and amines.