Alkane metathesis

Note also that (1) d° Ta alkyhdene complexes are alkane metathesis catalyst precursors (2) the cross-metathesis products in the metathesis of propane on Ta are similar to those obtained in the metathesis of propene on Re they differ only by 2 protons and (3) their ratio is similar to that observed for the initiation products in the metathesis of propane on [(=SiO)Ta(= CHfBu)(CH2fBu)2]. Therefore, the key step in alkane metathesis could probably involve the same key step as in olefin metathesis (Scheme 27) [ 101 ]. 

While alkane metathesis is noteworthy, it affords lower homologues and especially methane, which cannot be used easily as a building block for basic chemicals. The reverse reaction, however, which would incorporate methane, would be much more valuable. Nonetheless, the free energy of this reaction is positive, and it is 8.2 kj/mol at 150 °C, which corresponds to an equihbrium conversion of 13%. On the other hand, thermodynamic calculation predicts that the conversion can be increased to 98% for a methane/propane ratio of 1250. The temperature and the contact time are also important parameters (kinetic), and optimal experimental conditions for a reaction carried in a continuous flow tubiflar reactor are as follows 300 mg of [(= SiO)2Ta - H], 1250/1 methane/propane mixture. Flow =1.5 mL/min, P = 50 bars and T = 250 °C [105]. After 1000 min, the steady state is reached, and 1.88 moles of ethane are produced per mole of propane consmned, which corresponds to a selectivity of 96% selectivity in the cross-metathesis reaction (Fig. 4). The overall reaction provides a route to the direct transformation of methane into more valuable hydrocarbon materials. 

Additionally, grafting molecular entities on surfaces has already allowed to discover several reactions the low temperature hydrogenolysis of alkanes including the depolymerization of polyolefins, the alkane metathesis and the cross-metathesis of methane and alkanes. These two latter reactions can allow higher molecular weight alkanes to be built. 

This catalyst can catalyze a new reaction, called alkane metathesis. By this reaction, alkanes are transformed into higher and lower alkanes.265 Silica-supported zirconium catalysts were also used for the mild oxidation of alkenes by H202 266... 

Keywords Alkane metathesis Borylation C-H bond activation Dehydrogenation Hydroarylation Iridium catalyst Silylation... 

Alkane metathesis (AM shown for n-aUcanes in 6), which has also been referred to as disproportionation or redistribution of alkane chains, has great potential in the context of petroleum refining. 

The high activity of iridium PCP pincer complexes in transfer dehydrogenation has been applied in a very elegant approach to devise the first homogeneous alkane metathesis process (Equation 12.5) [3]. 

This is a major achievement, mainly due to Basset and his group, in surface organometallic chemistry because it has been thus possible to prepare single site catalysts for various known or new catalytic reactions [53] such as metathesis of olefins [54], polymerization of olefins [55], alkane metathesis [56], coupHng of methane to ethane and hydrogen [57], cleavage of alkanes by methane [58], hydrogenolysis of polyolefins [59] and alkanes [60], direct transformation of ethylene into propylene [61], etc. These topics are considered in detail in subsequent chapters. 

Tungsten surface organometallic chemistry has also been studied because a silica grafted tungsten hydride had been previously shown to exhibit some activity in alkane metathesis reaction (see below) [75, 76]. 

Alkane metathesis can be described by the following general equation ... 

Alkane metathesis can also formally appear as the breaking and reformation of one C-H and one C-C bonds. Scheme 3.7 shows, for example, the case of ethane where methane and propane are produced ... 

Alkane Metathesis in a Continuous Flow Reactor (Mechanistic Assertion)... 

The mechanistic similarity between olefin and alkane metathesis, even if intuitive, has needed time to become obvious in the laboratory for various reasons olefin formation starting from alkanes is thermodynamically disfavored, especially at low temperature, and, as a consequence, the proposal of olefinic intermediates was not obvious. Several facts lead to the metallocarbenic mechanistic assertion ... 

The most important difference between Chauvin s mechanism for olefin metathesis and the mechanism for alkane metathesis is that the latter applies itself to the reverse reaction of cleavage of alkanes by methane (which has no single C-C bond, see below) and, especially, it is based on a metal hydrido-carbene in equi-Ubrium with a metal-alkyl. 

As indicated previously, alkane metathesis is a thermodynamically equilibrated reaction. Indeed, for ethane at 150°C, with a AG° = -2kcalmoT, an equilibrium... 

The most relevant catalytic reactions approached by SOMC are olefin polymerization (and depolymerization), alkane activation (including a new reaction, discovered thanks to SOMC-alkane metathesis), alkene metathesis and epoxidation. All these reactions are discussed in this chapter. 

Since group 4 derived species are of particular interest as catalysts for olefin polymerization and epoxidation reactions, the thermal stability of surface metal-alkyl species, as weU as their reactivity towards water, alcohols and water, deserve some attention. On the other hand, mono(siloxy) metaUiydrocarbyl species can be converted into bis- or tris(siloxy)metal hydrides by reaction with hydrogen [16, 41, 46-48]. Such species are less susceptible to leaching and can be used as pre-catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of C-C bonds, alkane metathesis and, eventually, for epoxidation and other reactions. 

Alkane metathesis was first reported in 1997 [84]. Acyclic alkanes, with the exception of methane, in contact with a silica supported tantalum hydride ](=SiO)2TaH] were transformed into their lower and higher homologues (for instance, ethane was transformed into methane and propane). Later, the reverse reaction was also reported [85]. Taking into accountthe high electrophilic character ofa tantalum(III) species, two mechanistic hypotheses were then envisaged (i) successive oxidative addition/reductive elimination steps and (ii) o-bond metathesis. Further work has shown that aLkyhdene hydrides are critical intermediates, and that carbon-carbon... 

Upon discovery of this mechanism, new catalysts have been developed, now presenting alkylidene ligands in the metal coordination sphere, such as [(=SiO) Ta(=CH Bu)Np2 and [(=SiO)Mo(=NAr)(=CH Bu)Np] [43, 88]. Table 11.4 presents results obtained with several catalysts prepared by SOMC. Although [(=SiO) Ta(CH3)3Cp (=SiOSi=)] is not active in alkane metathesis (the tantalum site would not be as electrophilic as required) [18], results obtained with [(=SiO)Mo(=NAr) (=CH Bu)Np] show that ancillary ligands are not always detrimental to catalytic activity this species is as good a catalyst as tantalum hydrides. Tungsten hydrides supported on alumina or siHca-alumina are the best systems reported so far for alkane metathesis. The major difference among Ta, Mo and W catalysts is the selectivity to methane, which is 0.1% for Mo and less than 3% for W-based catalysts supported on alumina, whereas it is at least 9.5% for tantalum catalysts. This... 

The use of ancillary ligands (imido, alkyUdyne) in alkane metathesis, as well as the improved performance obtained by using alumina or silica-alumina as supports, suggests that other improvements in this field can be envisaged. 

Le Roux, E. (2004) New Generation of Tantalum and Tungsten Based Catalysts Supported on Oxides for Alkane Metathesis. PhD thesis. University Claude Bemard-Lyon I (Lyon). 

L2RhCl system studies, 1, 710 Pincer system studies, 1, 711 and alkane metathesis, 1, 719 alkanes, 1, 268... 

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