Transition-metal catalysts, polymer-supported

Various transition metal catalysts, including those based on Rh, Pt, Pd, Co, and Ti, have been bound to polymer supports—mainly through the phosphenation reaction described by Eq. 9-65 for polystyrene but also including other polymers, such as silica and cellulose, and also through other reactions (e.g., alkylation of titanocene by chloromethylated polystyrene). Transition-metal polymer catalysts have been studied in hydrogenation, hydroformylation, and hydrosilation reactions [Chauvin et al., 1977 Mathur et al., 1980]. 

Supported catalysts result in dispersed active centers that are highly accessible. Catalyst activity is greatly increased (>5,000 g polyethylene/g catalyst). TEAL is the preferred cocatalyst for supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts. Transition metal residues in polyethylene produced with modern supported catalysts are very low (typically <5 ppm), obviating post-reactor treatment of polymer. 

In catalysis involving transition metal complexes supported on polymers it is recognized that the chemical and physical structure of the polymeric matrix can have a large effect on the performance of the catalyst. Table XI presents several different polymeric matrixes that are used for this application. 

Chen et al. [37] studied a series of complexes of styrene-4-vinylpyridine copolymers or poly(4-vinylpyridine) and transition metal chlorides. The transition metal-polymer complexes were used to prepare ultra-fine metallic particles dispersed in a polymer matrix by chemical reduction. Upon reduction, the metal ions were transformed into the corresponding nanometer scale metal particles with the protective polymers preventing the metal particles from oxidation and excessive aggregation. Ohtaki et al. reported the effects of polymer support on the substrate selectivity of covalently immobilized ultra-fine rhodium particles as a catalyst for olefin hydrogenation [38]. 

Chaudret reported the coordination of organoruthenium groups to the aromatic rings of polystyrene for use as potential transition metal catalysts incorporated to polymer supports. " Scheme 27 shows the suggested structures of polymers... 

Polyquiaolines have been used as polymer supports for transition-metal cataly2ed reactions. The coordinatkig abiUty of polyqukioline ligands for specific transition metals has allowed thek use as catalysts ki hydroformylation reactions (99) and for the electrochemical oxidation of primary alcohols (100). 

Union Carbide Corp. also uses a siUca-supported chromium catalyst in their extremely low cost Unipol gas-phase linear low density ethylene copolymer process, which revolutionized the industry when it was introduced in 1977 (86—88). The productivity of this catalyst is 10 —10 kg polymer/kg transition metal contained in the catalyst. By 1990, the capacity of Unipol linear low density polyethylene reactors was sufficient to supply 25% of the world s total demand for polyethylene. 

Transition-metal organometallic catalysts in solution are more effective for hydrogenation than are metals such as platinum. They are used for reactions of carbon monoxide with olefins (hydroformyla-tion) and for some ohgomerizations. They are sometimes immobihzed on polymer supports with phosphine groups. 

Ionic liquids have already been demonstrated to be effective membrane materials for gas separation when supported within a porous polymer support. However, supported ionic liquid membranes offer another versatile approach by which to perform two-phase catalysis. This technology combines some of the advantages of the ionic liquid as a catalyst solvent with the ruggedness of the ionic liquid-polymer gels. Transition metal complexes based on palladium or rhodium have been incorporated into gas-permeable polymer gels composed of [BMIM][PFg] and poly(vinyli-dene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene copolymer and have been used to investigate the hydrogenation of propene [21]. 

Tullock C.W. et al.. Polyethylene and elastomeric polypropylene using alumina-supported bis(arene) titanium, zirconium, and hafnium catalysts, J. Polym. Sci, Part A, Polym. Chem., 27, 3063, 1989. Mueller G. and Rieger R., Propene based thermoplastic elastomers by early and late transition metal catalysis. Prog. Polym. Sci., 27, 815, 2002. 

The second general method, IMPR, for the preparation of polymer supported metal catalysts is much less popular. In spite of this, microencapsulation of palladium in a polyurea matrix, generated by interfacial polymerization of isocyanate oligomers in the presence of palladium acetate [128], proved to be very effective in the production of the EnCat catalysts (Scheme 3). In this case, the formation of the polymer matrix implies only hydrolysis-condensation processes, and is therefore much more compatible with the presence of a transition metal compound. That is why palladium(II) survives the microencapsulation reaction... 

There are several polymer supported transition metal hydrofomylation catalysts (42 ). Most are attached by phosphine ligation and suffer fron catalyst leaching. There are no n5-cyclo-pentadienyl half sandwich systems despite the potentially, clearly advantageous presence of the relatively strong Cp-metal bond (43,MO. Resin 5 was used in the following brief study in which the potential of polystyrene-supported CpCo(C0)2 to function as a hydrofomylation catalyst was tested. 

The Fischer-Tropsch activity of resin 5 and the unique reaction conditions have important consequences. The use of a reaction solvent raises the possibility of controlling heat removal in this appreciably exothermic process. The apparent homogeneous nature of the catalytic species suggests that other soluble Fischer-Tropsch catalysts may be forthcoming. Finally, CpCo-(00)2 possesses catalytic activity not found in soluble CpCo-(00)2 this demonstrates that attachment to a polymer support not only may induce changes in catalytic activity of a transition metal complex, but also might give rise to completely new activity (51,52,53). 

Recently, Chaudhari compared the activity of dispersed nanosized metal particles prepared by chemical or radiolytic reduction and stabilized by various polymers (PVP, PVA or poly(methylvinyl ether)) with the one of conventional supported metal catalysts in the partial hydrogenation of 2-butyne-l,4-diol. Several transition metals (e.g., Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru, Ni) were prepared according to conventional methods and subsequently investigated [89]. In general, the catalysts prepared by chemical reduction methods were more active than those prepared by radiolysis, and in all cases aqueous colloids showed a higher catalytic activity (up to 40-fold) in comparison with corresponding conventional catalysts. The best results were obtained with cubic Pd nanosized particles obtained by chemical reduction (Table 9.13). 

---