Dienes catalysts, iridium complexes

The complexes of the composition [ Ir( t-X)(diene) 2], where X = halogen, OH, OMe (e.g. [IrCl(CO)(cod)]) appeared to be very effective catalysts for the hydrosilylation of allyl chloride by trialkoxy- and alkylalkoxy-silanes [22]. Other iridium complexes have been subsequently reported as catalysts for the synthesis of silane... 

Iridium complexes, such as [IrCl(COD)]2, (COD, cycloocta-1,5-diene) also catalyze Intramolecular Alder-ene type cycioisomerizations 1,6-enynes to give cyclic 1,4-dienes. Shibata et al. [32] demonstrated the increased efficiency of this catalyst system in an ionic liquid over toluene. Iridium(I)-catalyzed Alder-ene cycioisomerizations of an alkynoyl cyclohexadienyl ester or Af-tosyl amide have been shown to furnish spirocyclic products [33]. 

The main species in solution has been identified to be the hydrido-alkynyl complex [IrH(C2Ph)(cod)(//2-iPrPCH2CH2OMe)]+BF4 (23). This is, however, only a sink that results from direct reaction of 22 with the 1-alkyne, draining the active catalyst from the system. The catalysis proceeds via the dihydrido-diene intermediate [IrH2(cod)(//2- PrPCH2CH2OMe)]+ BF4 (24), which reacts reversibly with the alkyne to yield the hydrido-iridium-styryl complex 25, followed by a rate-determining reaction of this hydrido-vinyl species with hydrogen to re-... 

In the past, this field has been dominated by ruthenium, rhodium and iridium catalysts with extraordinary activities and furthermore superior enantioselectivities however, some investigations were carried out with iron catalysts. Early efforts were reported on the successful use of hydridocarbonyliron complexes HFcm(CO) as reducing reagent for a, P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, dienes and C=N double bonds, albeit complexes were used in stoichiometric amounts [7]. The first catalytic approach was presented by Marko et al. on the reduction of acetone in the presence of Fe3(CO)12 or Fe(CO)5 [8]. In this reaction, the hydrogen is delivered by water under more drastic reaction conditions (100 bar, 100 °C). Addition of NEt3 as co-catalyst was necessary to obtain reasonable yields. The authors assumed a reaction of Fe(CO)5 with hydroxide ions to yield H Fe(CO)4 with liberation of carbon dioxide since basic conditions are present and exclude the formation of molecular hydrogen via the water gas shift reaction. H Fe(CO)4 is believed to be the active catalyst, which transfers the hydride to the acceptor. The catalyst presented displayed activity in the reduction of several ketones and aldehydes (Scheme 4.1) [9]. 

---