Alcohols, as cocatalysts

In an extensive study of the isomerization of hexenes and heptenes by platinum, palladium, and ruthenium, Harrod and Chalk (65) found that in many cases the equilibrium mixture of isomerized olefins was obtained. Isomerizations were achieved with Pt(II) (as 1,3-bisethylene-2,4-dichloro-fi-dichlorodiplatinum(II) with alcohol as cocatalyst), Pd(II)... 

Furukawa et al. explored the use of methanol and ethanol as additives for diethylzinc-based epoxide polymerization systems, and found that both the yield and crystallinity of the resulting polymers were inferior to those for polymers synthesized with the ZnEt2/H20 system. The use of achiral alcohols as cocatalysts was revisited in 1994 when Kuran and Listos reported the polymerization of propylene oxide and cyclohexene oxide (a meso molecule) with ZnEt2/polyhydric phenol (such as 4-tert-butyl-catechol), phenol, or l-phenoxy-2-propanol. The poly(propylene oxide) formed from these systems contained mostly isotactic dyads (72% m), whereas the poly(cyclohexene oxide) contained mostly syndiotactic dyads (80% r) (Scheme 24.8). 

Isotactic polymers can be obtained by the use of (Et)2AlCl, and other mixed alkylaluminum halides give crystalline polymers [77], One report asserts that the latter catalysts are effective only in the presence of a proton-active cocatalyst such as water or hydrochloric acid [78]. Sulfuric acid has been used as a cocatalyst for Al(/-Pr)3 to give stereoregular poly(vinyl 5 c-butyl ether) and poly(vinyl 2-methylbutyl ethers) [79]. Furukawa has also reported the use of diethylzinc with either oxygen, water, or alcohols as cocatalysts to give stereoregular poly(vinyl ethers) [80]. 

Fumkawa and co-workers explored catalysts derived from the addition of methanol or ethanol to diethylzinc as epoxide polymerization systems, and found that both the yield and crystallinity of the resulting polymers were inferior to those for polymers synthesized with the ZnEt2/H20 system. The use of achiral alcohols as cocatalysts was revisited in 1994 when... 

Fell and Bari (89) also studied the rhodium-catalyzed reaction. A rho-dium-N-methylpyrrolidine-water catalyst system was very effective for producing the propane-1,2-diol acetate directly. The best yields (>90%) of product of about 9 1 alcohol aldehyde ratio were obtained in the region of 95°-l 10°C. This range was very critical, as were other reaction parameters. Rhodium alone gave the best yield of aldehyde (83%) at 60°C. Triphenylphosphine as cocatalyst induced the decomposition of the aldehyde product. 

Nicotinamide coenzymes act as intracellular electron carriers to transport reducing equivalents between metabolic intermediates. They are cosubstrates in most of the biological redox reactions of alcohols and carbonyl compounds and also act as cocatalysts with some enzymes. 

The aerobic oxidation of alcohols catalysed by low-valent late-transition-metal ions, particularly those of group VIII elements, involves an oxidative dehydrogenation mechanism. In the catalytic cycle (Fig. 5) ruthenium can form a hydridometal species by /1-hydride elimination from an alkoxymetal intermediate, which is reoxidized by dioxygen, presumably via insertion of 02 into the M-H bond with formation of H202. Alternatively, an alkoxymetal species can decompose to a proton and the reduced form of the catalyst (Fig. 5), either directly or via the intermediacy of a hydridometal intermediate. These reactions are promoted by bases as cocatalysts, which presumably facilitate the formation of an alkoxymetal intermediate and/or /1-hydride elimination. 

The use of Cu in combination with TEMPO also affords an attractive catalyst [200, 201]. The original system however operates in DMF as solvent and is only active for activated alcohols. Knochel et al. [202] showed that CuBr.Me2S with perfluoroalkyl substituted bipyridine as the ligand and TEMPO as cocatalyst was capable of oxidizing a large variety of primary and secondary alcohols in a fluorous biphasic system of chlorobenzene and perfluorooctane (see Fig. 4.69). In the second example Ansari and Gree [203] showed that the combination of CuCl and TEMPO can be used as a catalyst in l-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, an ionic liquid, as the solvent. However in this case turnover frequencies were still rather low even for benzylic alcohol (around 1.3 h 1). 

Co(acac)3 in combination with N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as cocatalyst mediates the aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols, to the corresponding carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively, e.g. Fig. 4.71 [205]. By analogy with other oxidations mediated by the Co/NHPI catalyst studied by Ishii and coworkers [206, 207], Fig. 4.71 probably involves a free radical mechanism. We attribute the promoting effect of NHPI to its ability to efficiently scavenge alkylperoxy radicals, suppressing the rate of termination by combination of al-kylperoxy radicals (see above for alkane oxidation). 

In all of the above processes, the organoaluminum compounds serve as cocatalysts that activate a transition metal for the desired organic transformations. There are several important processes that do not involve transition metals and in which the organoaluminum reagents acts as a catalyst or stoichiometric reagent. The two most important of these are the formation of fatty alcohols and terminal alkenes from ethylene. These capitalize on the Aufbau reaction for formation of alkyl chains that can reach to C200, but the commercially important alkyls are those from C14 to C20 Oxidation of the aluminum alkyl followed by acidic hydrolysis yields predominately C14 to C20 alcohols and alumina (equation 36). The alcohols are converted to... 

The use of ethers as cocatalysts for the cationic polymerisation of alkenyl monomers induced by Lewis acids has received little systematic attention and the mechanism through which these compounds operate is not well understood. The complex diethyl-ether-boron fluoride has been extensively used as a very convenient cationic initiator, but mostly for preparative purposes. As in the case of alcohols and water, ethers are known to act as inhibitors or retarders in the cationic polymerisation of olefins, if used obove cocatalytic levels, because they are more nucleophilic than most rr-donor monomers. Imoto and Aoki showed that diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, -chloro-diethyl ether and diethyl thioether are inhibitors for the polymerisation of styrene-by the complex BF3 EtjO in benzene at 30 °C, at a concentration lower than that of the catalyst, but high enough (0.5 x 10 M) to quench the active species formation for a time. Their action was temporary in that the quenching reaction consumed them, and therefore induction periods were observed, but the DP s of the polystyrenes were independent of the presence of such compounds, as expected from a classical temporary inhibition. 

Using an alkaline metal as cocatalyst comes from the necessity to neutralize the acid formed by the reaction of Rh(N02)3 to the alcohol. 

The reaction is sensitive to steric hinderance. Aromatic ketones are reduced to hydrocarbons. Unsaturated ketones are fully reduced and with no selectivity. Complexes of the type Ir(Chel)(CH2=CH2)2Cl, with Chel = 2,2 -bipyridine or phenantholine derivatives, behave as catalyst precursors for hydrogen transfer from isopropanol to ketones and Schiff bases. Potassium hydroxide is required as cocatalyst to convert the isopropanol coordinated to the Ir(I) ion, in the neutral isopropoxy derivative. Enolates that are present would act as inhibitors when coordinated to the cationic derivative. Ethylene complexes are better precursors than the corresponding cyclooctadiene derivatives, because they are activated more easily and more completely, and they show high catalytic activity. The most active complexes is the 3,4,7,8-Me4 phen derivative, which, at 83°C, gives turnovers of up to 2850 cycles/min. Reduction of 4-r-butylcyclohexanone affords 97% of the tra/u-alcohol. 

Esterification. Heating carboxylic acids with alcohols in toluene at 80° in the presence of Ph2NH20Tf (1 mol%) furnishes esters (12 examples, 78-96%). The same catalyst can be used in transesterification. Improved yields are obtained by adding McjSiCl as cocatalyst. 

Oxidations. MTO and bromide ion serve as cocatalysts in the oxidation of alcohols by hydrogen peroxide. Aldehydes are further transformed into methyl esters and ethers into ketones. 

Glycosylation. The 1-O-methoxyacetoxyl group of sugar derivatives is replaced by a selected alkoxy unit in a catalyzed reaction. Actually, the ester group does not need to be present, as added methoxyacetic acid can be used as cocatalyst for the glycosylation of the sugars with alcohols. 

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