Catalytic Performance of Metal Alkoxides

Metal alkoxides have promising role in catalytic reactions. In this chapter, we briefly review the history, chciracteristics, cuid synthesis routes of metal alkoxide and then discuss some catalytic processes that are performed with them. These processes include polymerization of different olefin oxides and cyclic esters asymmetric reduction of aldehydes and ketones oxidation of sulfides and olefins and a variety of other asymmetric reactions. The rest of the chapter discusses the characteristics of these catalytic systems from different points of view. 

Cobalt(II) alkoxides are known and monomeric forms are part of a wider review.413 The interest in these compounds pertains to a potential role in catalysis. For example, a discrete cobalt(II) alkoxide is believed to form in situ from a chloro precursor during reaction and performs the catalytic role in the decomposition of dialkyl pyrocarbonates to dialkyl carbonates and carbon dioxide.414 A number of mononuclear alkoxide complexes of cobalt(II) have been characterized by crystal structures, as exemplified by [CoCl(OC(t-Bu)3)2 Li(THF)].415 The Co ion in this structure and close relatives has a rare distorted trigonal-planar coordination geometry due to the extreme steric crowding around the metal. 

The Henry reaction is routinely performed in the presence of only catalytic quantities of a base. Several base catalysts including alkali metal hydroxides, carbonates, bicarbonates, alkoxides, calcium and barium hydroxides and magnesium and aluminum ethoxides have been used. Anion-exchange resins and, among organic bases, primary and tertiary amines and ammonium acetate and fluoride have proven to be... 

Martin-Matute and coworkers described Cp Ir(III) complexes having hydroxyl-, ether-, and alkoxide-functionahzed NHC ligands, and their application in the N-alkylation of amines with primary and secondary alcohob [66]. In particular, the hydroxyl-functionalized complex dbplayed excellent catalytic outcomes, a broad substrate scope, and allowed amines to be alkylated with alcohob at temperatures as low as 50 °C. Indeed, thb hydroxyl-functionalized complex b one of the best catalysts known to date. The authors proposed a metal-ligand bifunctional mechanism for the iV-alkylation of amines with alcohob using this complex, which involves the formation of alcohol/alkoxide intermediates. Complex 38 (Figure 10.10) proved to be excellent for the A/,N -dialkylation of p-, m-, and 0-phenylenediamine with primary alcohob. The authors observed that the dimetal-lic compound 38 performs better than the monoiridium one, suggesting that a cooperative effect between the two metab may be at play [94]. 

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