Group VIII metals, oxidation with

Yamamoto et al. performed the reaction over catalysts consisting of silica-supported Cs combined with a Group VIII metal oxide, with a propionic acid/HCHO molar ratio of 1/2 (with an excess of HCHO with respect to propionic acid) using trioxane as the source of HCHO. 

We have mentioned in Section II.B.2 studies of the oxidation of olefins by molecular oxygen in the presence of low-valent Group VIII metal complexes, with the expectation of effecting homogeneous, nonradical oxidation processes. However, these reactions were shown to involve the usual free radical chain autoxidation, and no direct transfer of oxygen from a metal-dioxygen complex to an olefin was demonstrated. 

Dehalogenation of monochlorotoluenes can be readily effected with hydrogen and noble metal catalysts (34). Conversion of -chlorotoluene to Ncyanotoluene is accompHshed by reaction with tetraethyl ammonium cyanide and zero-valent Group (VIII) metal complexes, such as those of nickel or palladium (35). The reaction proceeds by initial oxidative addition of the aryl haHde to the zerovalent metal complex, followed by attack of cyanide ion on the metal and reductive elimination of the aryl cyanide. Methylstyrene is prepared from -chlorotoluene by a vinylation reaction using ethylene as the reagent and a catalyst derived from zinc, a triarylphosphine, and a nickel salt (36). 

The selectivity of RNH2 on M/A1203 and Raney catalysts decreased in the order Co Ni Ru>Rh>Pd>Pt. This order corresponds to the opposite sequence of reducibility of metal-oxides [8] and standard reduction potentials of metalions [9], The difference between Group VIII metals in selectivity to amines can probably been explained by the difference in the electronic properties of d-bands of metals [3], It is interacting to note that the formation of secondary amine, i.e. the nucleophilic addition of primary amine on the intermediate imine can also take place on the Group VIII metal itself. Therefore, the properties of the metal d-band could affect the reactivity of the imine and its interaction with the amine. One could expect that an electron enrichment of the metal d-band will decrease the electron donation from the unsaturated -C=NH system, and the nucleophilic attack at the C atom by the amine [3], Correlation between selectivity of metals in nitrile hydrogenation and their electronic properties will be published elsewhere. 

Oxidation of Tetramethylethylene. Tetramethylethylene, TME, was an excellent model olefin since it was rapidly and selectively oxidized in the presence of many transition metal complexes (12). Oxidation of TME in the presence of the group VIII metal complexes [MCI(CO)-(Ph3P)2] (M = Rh, Ir) at 50°C gave two major products 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-epoxybutane, I, and 2,3-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-l-butene, II (Reaction 5). Reaction mixtures were homogeneous with no observable deposits of insoluble materials. Little oxidation occurred under these conditions in the absence of the metal complexes, but low yields of I and II were obtained in the presence of a radical initiator (Table I). Reactions were severely inhibited by hydroquinone. The ruthenium (II) complex, [RuCl2(Ph3P)3]2, also promoted efficient oxidation of TME yielding I... 

In work reported elsewhere (31) we have shown that the oxidation of styrene under mild conditions is promoted by many group VIII metal complexes. The product profile depends on the nature of the metal center and often differs from that observed when radical initiators are used (Table IX). Substantial quantities of styrene oxide are found in some cases but not in others (31). The epoxide which is formed, however, seems to arise via the co-oxidation of styrene and formaldehyde which is formed by oxidative cleavage of the double bond. Formaldehyde may be oxidized to performic acid or formylperoxy radicals which are efficient epoxidizing agents. Reactions of styrene with oxygen in the presence of group VIII complexes exhibit induction periods and are severely retarded by radical inhibitors (31). Thus, the initial step in the oxidation of styrene in the presence of the Ir(I),Rh(I), Ru(II), and Os(II) com-... 

The author thanks John O. Turner, who collaborated with him in early studies of the group VIII metal catalyzed oxidation of TME and styrene, Caroline Link for technical assistance, and Arthur Brown for iodometric titrations and experimental assistance. 

As shown by Table 3, most of the Group VIII metal-peroxo complexes are obtained from the direct interaction of dioxygen with the corresponding reduced forms. A considerable effort has been devoted to this subject in the last decade with the hope that selective oxidations of hydrocarbons could be achieved by the activation of molecular oxygen under mild conditions12,56 133,184 and several such examples have actually been shown to occur. 

This has in turn been related to the relative stability of the OMME compared to the ethylene reactant and the epoxide product [11]. It has been argued that the relative instability of the OMME intermediate on Ag compared to Group VIII metals is the main origin of the unique activity of Ag as an effective epoxidation catalyst. Whether this simple interpretation is correct remains to be seen and will require considerable further investigations. In our current studies, we propose to shed light on the competitive partial oxidation and total oxidation channels with ab initio derived microkinetic modeling [61]. 

---