Electron-release catalysts

On the basis of these redox potentials it seems likely that direct electron release to the benzenediazonium ion takes place only with iodide. This corresponds well with experience in organic synthesis iodo-de-diazoniations are possible without catalysts, light, or other special procedures (Sec. 10.6). For bromo- and chloro-de-di-azoniations, catalysis by cuprous salts (Sandmeyer reaction, Sec. 10.5) is necessary. For fluorination the Balz-Schiemann reaction of arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates in the solid state (thermolysis) or in special solvents must be chosen (see Sec. 10.4). With astatide (211At-), the heaviest of the halide ions, Meyer et al. (1979) found higher yields for astato-de-diazoniation than for iodo-de-diazoniation, a result consistent with the position of At in the Periodic System. It has to be emphasized, however, that in investigations based on measuring yields of final products (Ar-Hal), the possibility that part of the yield may be due to heterolytic dediazoniation is very difficult to quantify. 

Co(ni) alkyl peroxides have been prepared and used by Mimoun and coworkers in the hydroxylation of hydrocarbons with this metal a Haber-Weiss type of reactivity is suggested. Square-planar Pt(II) complexes, of the type [(dppe)Pt(CF3)(solv)], used by Strukul in the epoxidation of alkenes and in Baeyer-Villiger oxidations of ketones (Schemes 8 and 9), are effective catalysts also in the direct hydroxylation of aromatics with hydrogen peroxide. The reactivity increases in the presence of electron releasing substituents in the aromatic ring. Ortho and para derivatives are practically the only products observed and interesting selectivity toward the ortho products has been detected (equation 85). 

As discussed in Section 6.9 1, 3-dienes and dienophiles in which multiple bonds are not activated by electron-withdrawing or electron-releasing substituents fail to undergo cycloaddition except under the most severe conditions. Particular difficulty is encountered in the cycloaddition of two unactivated species since homodimerization can be a competitive and dominant reaction pathway. The use of transition-metal catalysts, however, has proved to be a valuable solution. Complexation of unactivated substrates to such catalysts promotes both inter- and intramolecular cycloadditions. Consequently, the cycloaddition of such unactivated compounds, that is, simple unsubstituted dienes and alkenes, catalyzed by transition metals is a major, important area of study.655 In addition, theoretical problems of the transformation have frequently been addressed in the more recent literature. 

Styrene is a unique monomer since the aromatic ring is both electron releasing and electron attracting. It has been polymerized with a second type of catalyst. 

Alkyllithium-transition metal halide catalysis is completely different from the sodium ketyl and alfin catalysis. Natta, Danusso, Scanesi and Macchi (36) have found that the polymerization of styrene and substituted styrenes by titanium tetrachloride-triethyl aluminum catalysts was different from the above anionic systems. A plot of the log of the rate of the polymerization against Hammett s sigma constant produced a straight line with a rho value of —1.0. Electron releasing groups facilitated this polymerization. 

The ionic nature of the catalyst, which produces isotactic polymer, falls within a rather narrow range of cationic character. This requirement depends on the electron releasing effect of the aromatic ring at the propagating end of the double bond. 

The electron releasing or attracting substituents on the carbon-carbon double bond determines the balance of ionic nature required of the gegen ion of the catalysts to produce isotactic structure. 

Kinetic data for the HBr elimination of secondary alkyl bromide, i.e., a-substituted ethyl bromide, in the gas phase are shown in Table 11121. Contrary to primary -substituted ethyl bromides, the rate constants for these secondary halides could not be correlated by the use of the Taft equation. This limitation arised because the corresponding olefin products underwent rapid isomerization with HBr gas acting as a catalyst. The lack of a kinetic control prevented evaluation of the factor by which the Z substituent in ZCH(Br)CH3 affected the direction of elimination. However, as the electron-releasing effect of Z increases (Table 11), a small but significant increase in the overall rate constant was obtained. In view of the catalysis by HBr in the isomerization process of the olefin products, a general mechanism for this process was suggested (equation 40). 

---