Aromatics, hydroformylation

Aliphatic Aldehyde Syntheses. Friedel-Crafts-type aUphatic aldehyde syntheses are considerably rarer than those of aromatic aldehydes. However, the hydroformylation reaction of olefins (185) and the related oxo synthesis are effected by strong acid catalysts, eg, tetracarbonylhydrocobalt, HCo(CO)4 (see Oxo process). 

Conceptually at least, these compounds can be obtained via initial enantioselective hydroformylation of the appropriate vinyl aromatic to branched chiral aldehyde and subsequent oxidation. 

Concern for the conservation of energy and materials maintains high interest in catalytic and electrochemistry. Oxygen in the presence of metal catalysts is used in CUPROUS ION-CATALYZED OXIDATIVE CLEAVAGE OF AROMATIC o-DIAMINES BY OXYGEN (E,Z)-2,4-HEXADIENEDINITRILE and OXIDATION WITH BIS(SALI-CYLIDENE)ETHYLENEDIIMINOCOBALT(II) (SALCOMINE) 2,6-DI-important industrial method, is accomplished in a convenient lab-scale process in ALDEHYDES FROM OLEFINS CYCLOHEXANE-CARBOXALDEHYDE. An effective and useful electrochemical synthesis is illustrated in the procedure 3,3,6,6-TETRAMETHOXY-1,4-CYCLOHEX ADIENE. ... 

Rhodium Atom-Derived Catalysts in the Hydroformylation of 1,3-Dienes and in the Hydrosilylation of Aromatic Nitriles... 

We describe here (i) the selective hydroformylation of 1,3-dienes to p,y-unsaturated aldehydes promoted by catalyst A and (ii) the efficient hydrosilylation of aromatic nitriles to A,iV-disilylamines using catalysts B and C. 

The new family of phospholes with 2,4,6-trialkylphenyl substituent on the phosphorus atom show, in many respects, a special reactivity. Due to the flattening of the P-pyramid, the arylphospholes exhibit aromaticity and hence underwent Friedel-Crafts reactions. The regioselective functionalization through reaction with phosphorus tribromide gave a variety of phospholes with an exocyclic P-moiety. Novel phosphole platinum and rhodium complexes were prepared and a part of them was tested in hydroformylation reactions. 

A similar set of experiments was carried out with the phosphine substituted derivative Co2(CO),L2 (L = PBu3). Again it was shown that Co(C0)3L radicals were not involved in the hydroformylation of aliphatic olefins /32/. It is quite clear now, however, that such radicals may play a role in the hydrogenation of aromatic olefins, like styrene, stilbene, etc. /34, 35/. 

Most of the reports on Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation are concerned with asymmetric hydroformylation of vinyl aromatics, which are model substrates of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. In 1993 and 1995, reports were published describing the state of the art in hydroformylation with both rhodium and platinum systems.80,81 310 Two reports appeared in 1999 and 2000 on carbonylation and rhodium asymmetric hydroformylation respectively.311,345... 

Saturated ketones and aldehydes have been reduced to alcohols using Co2(CO)8-phosphine (P) mixtures at high H2 pressures, probably via the coordinatively unsaturated species HCo(CO)2P (187). A reassessment of experimental data on hydrogenation of aromatics (A) catalyzed by Co2(CO)8 under hydroformylation conditions has led to the suggestion that free radicals rather than organocobalt complexes are involved (188), e.g.,... 

A number of catalysts are known to effect homogeneous hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., some oxidized rhodium complexes (/, p. 238), some rhodium 7r-complexes with phenyl carboxylates (/, p. 283), some Ziegler systems (/, p. 363), and Co2(CO)8 (/, p. 173). However, the catalysts in the first three systems are not well characterized, and the carbonyl systems require fairly severe hydroformylation conditions, although they are reasonably selective, possibly via radical pathways (Section II, C). 

Abstract Aldehydes obtained from olefins under hydroformylation conditions can be converted to more complex reaction products in one-pot reaction sequences. These involve heterofunctionalization of aldehydes to form acetals, aminals, imines and enamines, including reduction products of the latter in an overall hydroaminomethylation. Furthermore, numerous conversions of oxo aldehydes with additional C.C-bond formation are conceivable such as aldol reactions, allylations, carbonyl olefinations, ene reactions and electrophilic aromatic substitutions, including Fischer indole syntheses. 

Aldehydes and imines derived from them can undergo electrophilic attack of activated aromatic systems under harsh hydroformylation conditions (Scheme 25). 

Scheme 25 Basic principle of the hydroformylation/aromatic substitution...

Thus /i-carbolincs can be obtained in a tandem hydroformylation/Pictet-Spengler-type intramolecular electrophilic aromatic substitution of polymer bound olefins (Scheme 26) [80]. 

In a similar fashion, hydroformylation of N-allyl-pyrrols leads to 5,6-dihydroindolizines via a one-pot hydroformylation/cyclization/dehydration process (Scheme 27) [81,82]. The cyclization step represents an intramolecular electrophilic aromatic substitution in a-position of the pyrrole ring. This procedure was expanded to various substrates bearing substituents in the al-lyl and in the pyrrole unit. 

Hydroformylations can also be combined with sigmatropic rearrangements. Here the carbonyls or derivatives derived from them are incorporated in a pseudo aromatic cyclic transition state. 

If the hydroformylation of olefins is conducted in the presence of aromatic hydrazines and Bronsted or Lewis acids indoles can be obtained directly in one pot [91-93,95]. Hydroformylation of the olefin gives an intermediate aldehyde, which is trapped immediately by the present aromatic hydrazine as an aromatic hydrazones similar to the formation of imines under hydroformylation conditions. Under acid mediation these aromatic hydrazones undergo a Fischer indolization, consisting of a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by a cyclization and elimination of ammonia (Scheme 38). 

General Procedure for the Hydroformylation/Fischer Indole Synthesis. Synthesis of Tryptamine Derivatives in Water. Aminoolefin (1 eq), aromatic hydrazine (1 eq), Rh(acac)(CO)2 (0.3 mol %) and TPPTS (1.5 mol %) are dissolved in H2SO4 (4wt% in H2O, 2.5 wt % olefin), filled in an autoclave and pressurized with lObar H2 and 50 bar CO. After stirring for 3 days at 100 °C ammonia (30 wt% in water) is added and the mixture is extracted with EtOAc. The solvent is evaporated to give the product which purified by column chromatography (silica, CH2C12, PrOH, NEt3) if necessary. 

Even 2,3-disubstituted indoles can be achieved if internal olefins are used. Regioselective hydroformylation of a styrene-type olefin and subsequent hy-drazone formation and Fischer indolization gives an intermediate indole with a quaternary center in 3-position. The regained aromaticity is the driving force for the rearrangement of one substituent into the 2-position of the indole core (Scheme 39). 

Kamer. P.C.J.. van Leeuwen, P.W.N.M., Goubitz, K. and Fraanje, J. (1995) New diphosphine ligands based on heterocychc aromatics inducing very high regioselectivity in rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation - Effect of the bite angle. Organometallics, 14, 3081-3089. 

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