Copper alkyne hydrogenation

Two types of substituents linked to the steroid rings arc involved in the Mannich reaction, namely, methyl ketone and alkyne residues. The former react on the methyl group, and the latter react chemo.selectivcly on the alkyne hydrogen atom when copper salts are employed as a catalyst. ... 

Copper Acetylene and alkynes, ammonium nitrate, azides, bromates, chlorates, iodates, chlorine, ethylene oxide, fluorine, peroxides, hydrogen sulflde, hydrazinium nitrate... 

Esters of a-diazoalkylphosphonic acids (95) show considerable thermal stability but react with acids, dienophiles, and triphenylphosphine to give the expected products. With olefinic compounds in the presence of copper they give cyclopropane derivatives (96), but with no such compounds present vinylphosphonic esters are formed by 1,2-hydrogen shift, or, when this route is not available, products such as (97) or (98) are formed, resulting from insertion of a carbenoid intermediate into C—C or C—H bonds. The related phosphonyl (and phosphoryl) azides (99) add to electron-rich alkynes to give 1,2,3-triazoles, from which the phosphoryl group is readily removed by hydrolysis. 

Three new methods for the conversion of alkynes to (Z)-alkenes were reported, although Lindlar semi-hydrogenation still remains as the most convenient method. Copper (I) hydride reagent could reduce alkynes to (Z)-alkenes as shown in Scheme 3 [12]. Yoon employed nickel boride prepared on borohy-dride exchange resin for selective hydrogenation of alkynes to (Z)-alkenes (Scheme 4) [13]. 

Cross-coupling of terminal alkynes with aryl and vinyl halides are usually carried out in organic solvents, such as benzene, dimethylformamide or chloroform with a palladium-based catalyst and a base scavenger for the hydrogen halide. Copper(I) iodide is a particularly effective co-catalyst allowing the reaction to proceed under mild conditions. 

Alkenes and alkynes add hydrogen much more readily than does nitrogen. For example, ethene reacts rapidly and completely with hydrogen at ordinary pressures and temperatures in the presence of metal catalysts such as nickel, platinum, palladium, copper, and chromium ... 

The coupling of terminal alkynes with aryl or vinyl halides under palladium catalysis is known as the Sonogashira reaction. This catalytic process requires the use of a palladium(0) complex, is performed in the presence of base, and generally uses copper iodide as a co-catalyst. One partner, the aryl or vinyl halide, is the same as in the Stille and Suzuki couplings but the other has hydrogen instead of tin or boron as the metal to be exchanged for palladium. 

The reaction of elemental silicon with a gaseous mixture of hydrogen chloride and unsaturated hydrocarbons such as alkenes (e.g., ethylene and propylene) and alkyne such as acetylene in the presence of copper catalyst also affords the corresponding organodichlorosilanes. 

The nse of polysnlfide complexes in catalysis has been discnssed. Two major classes of reactions are apparent (1) hydrogen activation and (2) electron transfers. For example, [CpMo(S)(SH)]2 catalyzes the conversion of nitrobenzene to aniline at room temperature, while (CpMo(S))2S2CH2 catalyzes a number of reactions snch as the conversion of bromoethylbenzene to ethylbenzene and the rednction of acetyl chloride, as well as the rednction of alkynes to the corresponding cw-alkenes. Electron transfer reactions see Electron Transfer in Coordination Compounds) have been studied because of their relevance to biological processes (in, for example, ferrodoxins), and these cluster compounds are dealt with in Iron-Sulfur Proteins. Other studies include the use of metal polysulfide complexes as catalysts for the photolytic reduction of water by THF and copper compounds for the hydration of acetylene to acetaldehyde. ... 

The fruitfulness of the idea of a stepwise addition with an independent variation of the addends was brilliantly illustrated by Normant s studies, which resulted in the elaboration of a general method of alkene synthesis based on the reaction of alkyne carbometallation. Basically this reaction represents a case of the well-known nucleophilic addition to a carbon-carbon triple bond. In the Normant reaction, however, the initial addition of a nucleophile (an organome-tallic reagent) across the triple bond results in the formation of a stabilized carbanion-like intermediate equivalent to a vinyl carbanion. This intermediate can similarly be further reacted with an external electrophile. Most typically, copper-modified Mg or Li reagents, which are unable to react with acidic acetylenic hydrogens, are used in this sequence. 

Terminal alkynes couple with propargyl-type halides (45) in the presence of copper(i) chloride and ammonia or an amine . Two types of coupling products have been observed, allenynes 46 and 1,4-diynes 47. When R is hydrogen, the... 

The selective hydrogenation of C2 - C4 alkynes was studied at atmospheric pressure, using a fully computer-controlled flow apparatus. 0.5 g of catalyst was placed In a copper reactor tube (3/8" O.D.) between glass wool plugs. The catalyst was reduced prior to reaction In a stream of 50 % hydrogen in helium (40 ml/tnin) at 250 C for 4 hours. 

The results showed that copper based catalysts are highly selective for the hydrogenation of alkynes and only olefines and foulant, but no alkanes, are produced. Deactivation can be reduced by choosing basic or neutral catalyst supports and by Increasing the temperature of operation. 

J.T. Uehrli, D.J. Thomas, D.L. Trinm, H.S. Vainwright and M.V. Cant, Selective Hydrogenation of C4 Alkynes over an Ion-Exchanged Copper on Silica Catalyst, submlttad to Appl. Catal. 

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