Alkenes to Alkanes

Alkenes to Alkanes. The ionic hydrogenation of many compounds containing carbon-carbon double bonds is effected with the aid of strong acids and organosilicon hydrides following the n-route outlined in Eq. 2. A number of factors are important to the successful application of this method. These include the degree and type of substituents located around the double bond as well as the nature and concentrations of the acid and the organosilicon hydride and the reaction conditions that are employed. 

The most common reaction conditions for alkene reductions use excess tri-fluoroacetic acid and triethylsilane either neat202 204 or in an inert solvent such as nitrobenzene,134 2-nitropropane,205 carbon tetrachloride,206 chloroform,207 or dichloromethane.127,164 Reaction temperatures from —78° to well over 100° are reported. Ambient or ice-bath temperatures are most commonly used, but variations of these conditions abound. 

Among other silicon hydrides reported are n-butylsilane, diethylsilane, tri-isopentylsilane, tricyclopentylsilane, triphenylsilane, tri-sec-butylsilane, di-tert-butylsilane, di-ferf-butylmethylsilane, tri-tert-butylsilane,204 phenylsilane, dieth-ylmethylsilane,202 diphenylsilane,134,208,209 dichloroethylsilane,192 PMHS,77 and polyethylhydrosiloxane.207 

Acids that are used in addition to trifluoroacetic acid include trifluoroacetic acid with added sulfuric acid203 or boron trifluoride etherate,210,211 perfluorobu-tyric acid,212 hydrogen chloride/aluminum chloride,136,146,213 perchloric acid in chloroform,214 p-loluenesull onic acid alone134 or with aluminum bromide or aluminum chloride,192 concentrated sulfuric acid in two-phase systems with dichloromethane, alcohol, or ether solvents,209,215 trifluoromethanesulfonic acid,216 chlorodifluoroacetic acid,134 and the monohydrate of boron trifluoride 

The triethylsilane/trifluoroacetic acid reagent system reduces alkenes to alkanes in poor to excellent yields depending largely on the ability of the alkene to form carbocations upon protonation. Under these conditions the more substituted olefins are reduced in better yields and styrene double bonds are reduced in high yields.127,202,207,221-228 The reduction of 1,2-dimethylcyclohexene with this reagent gives a mixture of cis- and trans- 1,2-dimethylcyclohexane.229 The formation of the trifluoroacetate esters is a side reaction.205,230 

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Adams catalyst, platinum oxide, Pt02 H20. Produced by fusion of H2PtCl6 with sodium nitrate at 500-550 C and leaching of the cooled melt with water. Stable in air, activated by hydrogen. Used as a hydrogenation catalyst for converting alkenes to alkanes at low pressure and temperature. Often used on Si02... 

A catalyst, usually acid, is required to promote chemoselective and regioselective reduction under mild conditions. A variety of organosilanes can be used, but triethylsilane ia the presence of trifiuoroacetic acid is the most frequendy reported. Use of this reagent enables reduction of alkenes to alkanes. Branched alkenes are reduced more readily than unbranched ones. Selective hydrogenation of branched dienes is also possible. 

Concerning consecutive reactions, a typical example is the hydrogenation of alkynes through alkenes to alkanes. Alkenes are more reactive alkynes, however, are much more strongly adsorbed, particularly on some group VIII noble metal catalysts. This situation is illustrated in Fig. 2 for a platinum catalyst, which was taken from the studies by Bond and Wells (45, 46) on hydrogenation of acetylene. The figure shows the decrease of... 

Carbon-carbon double bonds alkene to alkane reductions, trisubstituted alkenes, 40 ketone-alcohol reduction, 77, 86-87 a,p-unsaturated ester reduction, 93-96 Carbonyl compounds ... 

Deuterium-labeled organosilicon hydride alkene to alkane reductions, 34 disubstituted alkenes, 37-38 alkyl halide reduction, 29-31 Diastereoselectivity, ketone-alcohol reduction, 76-79... 

Dicyclohexyl ether [Brpnsted acid promoted ketone reduction, symmetrical ether], 123 Diels-Alder cycloaddition-cycloreversion pathway, alkene to alkane reductions, trisubstituted alkenes, 39-40 3,5-Dimethyl-1 -cyclohexen-1 -yl... 

Dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-4-one, enone 1,2-reduction with acetal, 129-130 Disubstituted alkenes, alkene to alkane reductions, 36-38... 

Halocarbons, ketone-alcohol reduction, 84 Halogenation, 4-methylbenzyl chloride [reductive halogenation of aldehyde to benzyl chloride], 124 Hemiacetals, reduction of, 97-99 Hemiaminals, reduction of, 99-100 Hemiketals, reduction of, 97-99 Heptene derivatives, alkene to alkane reductions, disubstituted alkenes, 36-38... 

N-Boc-cyclododecylamine, reductive Boc protection, 128 Oxirane, iodoalkane iodoreduction, cyclohexyl iodide, 136 Oxonium ions, alkene to alkane... 

Phenylcyclopentane [Brpnsted acid catalyzed reduction], alkene to alkane, 125... 

Polyarenes, reduction reactions, 49 Polyenes, alkene to alkane reductions, 41-45... 

The substitution of trialkylphosphine for carbon monoxide also makes the metal-hydrogen bond more hydridic in character and results in increased reduction of the initially formed aldehyde to alcohol. Slaugh and Mullineaux (52) compared Co2(CO)g and [Co2(CO)8 + 2PBu3], each at reaction conditions of 150°C, 500 psi, H2/CO I.0, for the hydroformylation of 1-pentene. The products consisted of hexyl aldehydes and hexyl alcohols in the ratios of 95 5 and 30 70, respectively. In a negative aspect of the reaction, they observed 23% hydrogenation of alkene to alkane at a reaction temperature of 195°C with the phosphine-modified catalyst. Tucci (54) reported less alkane formation (4-5%) under more favorable reaction conditions (I60°C, H2/CO 1.2, 1 hour reaction time). 

At increasing reaction temperatures (230-350°C) the product selectivity is shifted towards C -C. The alkene to alkane ratio declines at higher reaction temperatures whereas the branched to linear alkane ratio increases as well as CO2 formation. These observations are entirely consistent with the behaviour of classical F-T catalysts (Table 1). 

Sodium triacetoxyborohydride, 283 Titanium(III) chloride, 302 Tributyltin hydride, 316 Zinc borohydride, 167 of alkenes to alkanes (R)-(-F)- and (S)-(-)-2,2 -Bis(di-phenylphosphine)-l,1 -binaphthyl, 36 [1,4-Bis(diphenylphosphine)-butanej(cycloheptatriene)-rhodium(I) tetrafluoroborate, 89 [ 1,4-Bis(diphenylphosphine)butane]-(norbornadiene)rhodium(I) tetrafluoroborate, 37... 

The porous Ni particle, or skeleton, which is left by the preparative leaching process offers such an excellent adsorbtive surface for H2 that the alloy is used as an economical means for the hydrogenation of alkenes to alkanes at low press (1 to 4 atm) and moderate temps (0 to 100°). 

The reduction of alkenes to alkanes is a reaction that is often used as a key part of a synthetic sequence. In some cases this reaction is performed in an attempt to introduce chirality into a molecule. The emphasis here is on the stereocontrolled reduction of alkenes in complex molecules. 

Metathesis reactions may be intramolecular and ring-closing diene metathesis (RCM, implicated in Scheme 1.13, see Chapter 12) allows disconnections in retro-synthetic analysis otherwise of little use. The normal disconnection of the macrocyclic amide in Scheme 1.13 would be at the amide but, because of the ready reduction of alkenes to alkanes, the alternative disconnection now becomes a viable option. And since any of the C—C linkages could be formed by RCM, such a disconnection allows far greater synthetic flexibility than the conventional disconnection at the functional group. 

With the advances in pro-catalyst design that have been witnessed over the last decade or so, the transition-metal-catalysed alkene metathesis reaction has now become a practical procedure that can be utilised by the chemist at the bench. Undeniably, this has added a new dimension to the repertoire of synthetic organic chemistry as it facilitates disconnections that, pre-metathesis, simply would not have been considered. Take, for example, a macro-cyclic amide where the normal disconnection would be at the amide. Now, with the ready reduction of alkenes to alkanes, a ring-closing diene metathesis (RCM), followed by hydrogenation, becomes an alternative disconnection. And, when one considers that any of the C—C linkages could be established in such a manner, the power of the RCM disconnection becomes obvious. 

Fig. (a) More substituted carbocation (b) less substituted carbocation. Reduction and Oxidation of Alkenes Alkenes to Alkanes... 

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