Alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ions

Zeolites are the main catalyst in the petrochemical industry. The importance of these aluminosilicates is due to their capacity to promote many important reactions. By analogy with superacid media (1), carbocations are believed to be key intermediates in these reactions. However, simple carbocationic species are seldom observed on the zeolite surface as persistent intermediates within the time-scale of spectroscopic techniques. Indeed, only some conjugated cyclic carbocations were observed as long living species, but covalent intermediates, namely alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ions (2) (scheme 1), where the organic moiety is bonded to the zeolite structure, are usually thermodynamically more stable than the free carbocations (3,4). 

Scheme 1 Structure of alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ions over the zeolite...

Numerous studies suggest that alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ions should be the real intermediates in hydrocarbon reactions over zeolite, whereas carbocations should be just transition states (J). Equilibrium between the alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion and the carbocation, although suggested in some cases, has never been experimentally or theoretically proven, but recent calculations indicated that the tert-butyl carbenium ion is an intermediate on some specific zeolite structures 6,7). 

We have recently shown that metal-exchanged zeolites give rise to carbocationic reactions, through the interactions with alkylhalides (metal cation acts as Lewis acid sites, coordinating with the alkylhalide to form a metal-halide species and an alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion bonded to the zeolite structure, which acts as an adsorbed carbocation (scheme 2). We were able to show that they can catalyze Friedel-Crafts reactions (9) and isobutane/2-butene alkylation (70), with a superior performance than a protic zeolite catalyst. 

Nevertheless, the discussion whether the intermediates involved in the reactions of hydrocarbons over zeolite surface is the alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion or the carbocation could not be answered with these previous studies. 

There are no reported studies of this rearrangement on the zeolite surface and we argued that it could give some clues to the alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion/carbocation equilibrium. In this work we show experimental and theoretical results on the rearrangement of the cyclopropylcarbinyl chloride over NaY zeolite, aiming at demonstrating the equilibrium between the carbocation and the alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion. 

Table 1 Relative energy of the calculated alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ions and carbocations, at B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) MNDO.

The three alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ions are more stable than the carbocations, with the allylcarbinyl aluminumsilyl oxonium ion lying 4.5 and 4.7 kcal.mor1 lower in energy than cyclobutyl. and cyclopropylcarbinyl aluminumsilyl oxonium ions, respectively. This result is in agreement with the thermodynamic stability of the respective chlorides. 

Rearrangement of the cyclopropylcarbinyl chloride takes place over NaY zeolite, indicative of the formation of the bicyclobutonium cation. Theoretical calculations show that the bicyclobutonium is an intermediate on the zeolite surface and might be in equilibrium with the alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion. 

The results of cyclopropylcarbinyl chloride rearrangement over NaY impregnated with NaBr suggest that there is an equilibrium between the bicyclobutonium cation and the alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion, explaining the preferred formation of the allylcarbinyl bromide in the rearranged products. It also suggests that zeolites may act as solid solvents, providing unsymmetrical solvation for the ions inside the cavities. 

Scheme 2 Reaction of an alkylchloride with a metal-exchanged zeolite. Formation of alkyl-aluminumsilyl oxonium ion.

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