Benzene reaction with rhenium

Reaction of rhenium atoms with alkyl-substituted arenes forms dirhenium- l-arylidene compounds (2 2) (Figure 3). The products require insertion, presumably sequential, into two carbon-hydrogen bonds of the alkyl substituent. These reactions seem highly specific and require only the presence of an alkyl-substituted benzene that possesses a CH2 or CH3 substituent. Thus, co-condensation of rhenium atoms with ethylbenzene gives two isomers (see Figure 3) in which the products arise from insertion into the carbon-hydrogen bonds of the methylene or the methyl group. The product distribution in this reaction is in accord with statistical attack at all available sp3 C-H bonds. 

Purely parallel reactions are e.g. competitive reactions which are frequently carried out purposefully, with the aim of estimating relative reactivities of reactants these will be discussed elsewhere (Section IV.E). Several kinetic studies have been made of noncompetitive parallel reactions. The examples may be parallel formation of benzene and methylcyclo-pentane by simultaneous dehydrogenation and isomerization of cyclohexane on rhenium-paladium or on platinum catalysts on suitable supports (88, 89), parallel formation of mesityl oxide, acetone, and phorone from diacetone alcohol on an acidic ion exchanger (41), disproportionation of amines on alumina, accompanied by olefin-forming elimination (20), dehydrogenation of butane coupled with hydrogenation of ethylene or propylene on a chromia-alumina catalyst (24), or parallel formation of ethyl-, methylethyl-, and vinylethylbenzene from diethylbenzene on faujasite (89a). 

The catalytic system used in the Pacol process is either platinum or platinum/ rhenium-doped aluminum oxide which is partially poisoned with tin or sulfur and alkalinized with an alkali base. The latter modification of the catalyst system hinders the formation of large quantities of diolefins and aromatics. The activities of the UOP in the area of catalyst development led to the documentation of 29 patents between 1970 and 1987 (Table 6). Contact DeH-5, used between 1970 and 1982, already produced good results. The reaction product consisted of about 90% /z-monoolefins. On account of the not inconsiderable content of byproducts (4% diolefins and 3% aromatics) and the relatively short lifetime, the economics of the contact had to be improved. Each diolefin molecule binds in the alkylation two benzene molecules to form di-phenylalkanes or rearranges with the benzene to indane and tetralin derivatives the aromatics, formed during the dehydrogenation, also rearrange to form undesirable byproducts. 

An interesting class of reactions includes the activation of furan derivatives by their hapto coordination to a rhenium centre. Harman and co-workers have made a number of contributions to this field,303-305 with a particularly significant paper that appeared in 2003 (Scheme 68).306 Harman and co-workers also reported on the activation of non-heteroaromatics, such as benzene and naphthalene.307-309... 

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