Fluorous complex

Fig. 27 Amino bis(phenolate)-supported zirconium and hafnium complexes and Al-fluorous complexes for isoselective lactide ROP...

Supercritical CO2 is a green reaction medium for a range of reactions, especially for the homogeneous transition-metal-catalyzed reactions. In a recent paper, fluorinated diphosphine ligand and its metal complexes were prepared and systematically characterized (Scheme 7.10) [19]. These fluorous complexes exhibited enhanced solubility in supercritical CO2 and, therefore, efSciently catalyzed the copolymerization of CO and ethylene as a green process. 

In comparison with traditional biphasic catalysis using water, fluorous phases, or polar organic solvents, transition metal catalysis in ionic liquids represents a new and advanced way to combine the specific advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. In many applications, the use of a defined transition metal complex immobilized on a ionic liquid support has already shown its unique potential. Many more successful examples - mainly in fine chemical synthesis - can be expected in the future as our loiowledge of ionic liquids and their interactions with transition metal complexes increases. 

Only a few years after the development of the homogeneous chiral Mn(salen) complexes by Jacobsen and Katsuki, several research groups began to study different immobiUzation methods in both liquid and soUd phases. Fluorinated organic solvents were the first type of Uquid supports studied for this purpose. The main problem in the appUcation of this methodology is the low solubility of the catalytic complex in the fluorous phase. Several papers were pubUshed by Pozzi and coworkers, who prepared a variety of salen ligands with perfluorinated chains in positions 3 and 5 of the saUcyUdene moiety (Fig. 2). 

Fluorous ligands introduce an ease of purification in that the tagged phosphine ligand, the palladium catalyst complexed ligand, and the oxidized ligand can be completely removed by direct fluorous solid-phase separation (F-SPE) prior to product isolation. Similarly, an example of a fluorous palladium-catalyzed microwave-induced synthesis of aryl sulfides has been reported, whereby the product purification was aided by fluorous solid-phase extraction [91]. 

Fluorous biphasic systems operate on the premise that the catalyst complex is preferentially soluble in the fluorous phase. This is achieved by synthesising fluorinated ligands that have a high weight-percentage of fluorine. It has been reported that for a complex to be preferentially soluble in fluorous solvents it must contain >60... 

Figure 6.2. Fluorous biphasic hydrogenation of methyl t/h-cinnamate catalysed by rhodium complexes.[23]...

Figure 6.7. Hydroformylation of an alkene using a rhodium complex bearing a fluorous ponytail.[l, 22]...

Pozzi and co-workers have also reported a fluorous soluble cobalt complex, which is active in the aerobic epoxidation of alkenes in a fluorous biphasic system (FBS).[50] The ligand used in this complex was a fluorinated tetraarylporphyrin, with eight perfluorooctyl chains shown in Figure 6.13. The cobalt complex was dissolved in perfluorohexane and added to a solution of the alkene with 2-methylpropanal (aldehyde substrate — 2 1) at room temperature. 

Further efficient ligands for the epoxidation of alkenes have been reported by Pozzi, but using PhIO as the oxidant and pyridine V-oxide as an additive in FBS.[7, 51-53] Chiral (salen)Mn complexes have been synthesised, which are soluble in fluorous solvents and active in the epoxidation of a variety of alkenes. The catalysts were of the form shown in Figure 6.14. 

Figure 6.16. Aerobic oxidation of 1-phenylethanol catalysed by palladium complexes of a fluorous pyridine...

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