Higher alkenes

The attack of OH obeys the Markovnikov rule. Higher alkenes are oxidized to ketones and this unique oxidation of alkenes has extensive synthetic appli-cations[23]. The oxidation of propylene affords acetone. Propionaldehyde is... 

The oxidation of higher alkenes in organic solvents proceeds under almost neutral conditions, and hence many functional groups such as ester or lac-tone[26,56-59], sulfonate[60], aldehyde[61-63], acetal[60], MOM ether[64], car-bobenzoxy[65], /-allylic alcohol[66], bromide[67,68], tertiary amine[69], and phenylselenide[70] can be tolerated. Partial hydrolysis of THP ether[71] and silyl ethers under certain conditions was reported. Alcohols are oxidized with Pd(II)[72-74] but the oxidation is slower than the oxidation of terminal alkenes and gives no problem when alcohols are used as solvents[75,76]. 

With higher alkenes, three kinds of products, namely alkenyl acetates, allylic acetates and dioxygenated products are obtained[142]. The reaction of propylene gives two propenyl acetates (119 and 120) and allyl acetate (121) by the nucleophilic substitution and allylic oxidation. The chemoselective formation of allyl acetate takes place by the gas-phase reaction with the supported Pd(II) and Cu(II) catalyst. Allyl acetate (121) is produced commercially by this method[143]. Methallyl acetate (122) and 2-methylene-1,3-diacetoxypropane (123) are obtained in good yields by the gas-phase oxidation of isobutylene with the supported Pd catalyst[144]. 

The relatively low capital cost of the simple batch reactor is its most enticing feature. The inabiUty to operate under pressure typically limits the simple batch reactor to use with the higher alkenes ie, octenes, nonenes, and dodecenes. For mainly economic reasons, these reactors are usually mn at phenol to alkene mole ratios of between 0.9 and 1.1 to 1. 

Ring All lation. Ortho alkylation of IDA has taken on increasing commercial importance. Ortho ethylation, the first commercial process, is carried out (5—8) using an alkyl aluminum haUde or an aluminum anilide. The alkylation rate decreases for higher alkenes (1). 

The more recently developed so-called linear low-density polyethylenes are virtually free of long chain branches but do contain short side chains as a result of copolymerising ethylene with a smaller amount of a higher alkene such as oct-1-ene. Such branching interferes with the ability of the polymer to crystallise as with the older low-density polymers and like them have low densities. The word linear in this case is used to imply the absence of long chain branches. 

Alternatively, thermolysis yields the terminal alkene RCH=CH2. Note that, if propene or higher alkenes are u.sed instead of ethene, then only single insertion into Al-C occurs. This has been commercially exploited in the catalytic dimerization of propene to 2-methylpentene-1, which can then be cracked to isoprene for the production of synthetic rubber (cu-1,4-polyisoprene) ... 

Rearrangements and other side-reactions are rare. The ester pyrolysis is therefore of some synthetic value, and is used instead of the dehydration of the corresponding alcohol. The experimental procedure is simple, and yields are generally high. Numerous alkenes have been prepared by this route for the first time. For the preparation of higher alkenes (> Cio), the pyrolysis of the corresponding alcohol in the presence of acetic anhydride may be the preferable method." The pyrolysis of lactones 9 leads to unsaturated carboxylic acids 10 ... 

When water-miscible ionic liquids are used as solvents, and when the products are partly or totally soluble in these ionic liquids, the addition of polar solvents, such as water, in a separation step after the reaction can make the ionic liquid more hydrophilic and facilitate the separation of the products from the ionic liquid/water mixture (Table 5.3-2, case e). This concept has been developed by Union Carbide for the hydroformylation of higher alkenes catalyzed by Rh-sulfonated phosphine ligand in the N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)/water system. Thanks to the presence of NMP, the reaction is performed in one homogeneous phase. After the reaction. 

Alkyl halides and tosylates react with Na2pe(CO)4 in the presence of ethylene to give alkyl ethyl ketones. The reaction was not successful for higher alkenes, except that where the double bond and the tosylate group are in the same molecule, five- and six-membered rings can be closed. ... 

For higher alkenes (above Cjo) a better method is to pyrolyze the alcohol in the presence of acetic anhydride. 

Cobalt catalysts such as HCo(CO)4 are widely used for hydroformyla-tion of higher alkenes, despite the higher temperatures and pressures required. The main reason for this is that these catalysts are also efficient alkene isomerization catalysts, allowing a mix of internal and terminal alkenes to be used in the process. Catalyst recovery is more of a problem here, involving production of some waste and adding significantly to the complexity of the process. A common recovery method involves treating the catalyst with aqueous base to make it water soluble, followed by separation and subsequent treatment with acid to recover active catalyst (4.3). 

The complexes [Cu(NHC)(MeCN)][BF ], NHC = IPr, SIPr, IMes, catalyse the diboration of styrene with (Bcat) in high conversions (5 mol%, THF, rt or reflux). The (BcaO /styrene ratio has also an important effect on chemoselectivity (mono-versus di-substituted borylated species). Use of equimolecular ratios or excess of BCcat) results in the diborylated product, while higher alkene B(cat)j ratios lead selectively to mono-borylated species. Alkynes (phenylacetylene, diphenylacety-lene) are converted selectively (90-95%) to the c/x-di-borylated products under the same conditions. The mechanism of the reaction possibly involves a-bond metathetical reactions, but no oxidative addition at the copper. This mechanistic model was supported by DFT calculations [68]. 

From a thermodynamic point of view, the addihon of NH3 and amines to olefins is feasible. For example, the free enthalpy for the addihon of NH3 to ethylene is AG° -4 kcal/mol [14]. Calculations showed that the enthalpies for the hydroamination of higher alkenes are in the range -7 to -16 kcal/mol and that the exothermicities of both hydrahon and hydroaminahon of alkenes are closely similar [15]. Such N-H addihons, however, are characterized by a high activation barrier which prevents the... 

We have developed a thermomorphic catalyst system for the hydroformylation of higher alkenes. We have built a bench-scale continuous reactor and have used it to determine the long-term performance of the thermomorphic catalyst system. Longterm results (>400 h) using 1-octene and 1-dodecene show that the catalyst has high selectivity and no measurable loss in activity. 

Cobalt carbonyls are the oldest catalysts for hydroformylation and they have been used in industry for many years. They are used either as unmodified carbonyls, or modified with alkylphosphines (Shell process). For propene hydroformylation, they have been replaced by rhodium (Union Carbide, Mitsubishi, Ruhrchemie-Rhone Poulenc). For higher alkenes, cobalt is still the catalyst of choice. Internal alkenes can be used as the substrate as cobalt has a propensity for causing isomerization under a pressure of CO and high preference for the formation of linear aldehydes. Recently a new process was introduced for the hydroformylation of ethene oxide using a cobalt catalyst modified with a diphosphine. In the following we will focus on relevant complexes that have been identified and recently reported reactions of interest. 

Considerable work has been conducted on a water-soluble catalyst using sulfonated phosphine-modified rhodium. Details of this chemistry will be described in Chapter 5. The general concept (Figure 2.3) is to make the catalyst water soluble, then after product formation, decant the product. In order for the water-soluble catalyst to be effective, the alkene must dissolve in the aqueous layer. This has been demonstrated on a commercial basis using propene. The low solubility of higher alkenes in the aqueous catalyst layer has proven problematic. The desirable characteristic of the ligand, water solubility, is needed in the separation step but is a disadvantage in the reaction step. 

Mitsubishi has patented a triphenylphosphine oxide-modified rhodium catalyst for the hydroformylation of higher alkenes with both alkyl branches and internal bonds. [19] Reaction conditions are 50-300 kg/cm2 of CO/H2 and 100-150 degrees C. The high CO/H2 partial pressures provide stabilization for rhodium in the reactor, but rhodium stability in the vaporizer separation system is a different matter. Mitsubishi adds triphenylphosphine to stabilize rhodium in the vaporizer. After separation, triphenylphosphine is converted to its oxide before the catalyst is returned to the reactor. 

Up to now only limited kinetic data and thus rate models (and even mechanistic details) of aqueous phase operation are available. Thus, in many cases only estimates and experimentally found data are at the disposal for reaction engineers work (e.g.[25]). The state of the art of the hydroformylation of higher alkenes (>C -) comprises additions of supplementary solvents/diluents or extraction fluids, surface-active agents (detergents), intensity and mode of stirring ([22b], power of agitation (cf. Figure 5.5) operation in... 

With the RCH/RP process, it is possible to hydroformylate propene up to pentenes with satisfying space time yields. On the other hand, heavier aldehydes such as Cio (iso-decanal) or higher from the hydroformylation of nonene(s), decenes, etc. can not be separated from the oxo catalysts by conventional means such as distillation due to thermal instability at the required temperatures and thus especially needs the careful aqueous-biphasic separation technique. There are numerous attempts to overcome the problem of low reactivity of higher alkenes which is due to low miscibility of the alkenes in water [26,27b, 50a,58d]. These proposals can briefly be summarized as ... 

Supported aqueous phase (Chapter 3, Section 3.6, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.5) and supported ionic liquid phase catalysts, Chapter 7, Section 7.3) are probably not suitable for use with higher alkenes because the liquid feed slowly dissolves some of the water or ionic liquid changing the nature of the catalyst and leading to catalyst leaching. 

A similar type of catalyst including a supported noble metal for regeneration was described extensively in a series of patents assigned to UOP (209-214). The catalysts were prepared by the sublimation of metal halides, especially aluminum chloride and boron trifluoride, onto an alumina carrier modified with alkali or rare earth-alkali metal ions. The noble metal was preferably deposited in an eggshell concentration profile. An earlier patent assigned to Texaco (215) describes the use of chlorinated alumina in the isobutane alkylation with higher alkenes, especially hexenes. TMPs were supposed to form via self-alkylation. Fluorinated alumina and silica samples were also tested in isobutane alkylation,... 

The catalyst is faujasite derived, with a high concentration of sufficiently strong Brpnsted acid sites and a minimized concentration of Lewis acid sites. It also contains a hydrogenation function. The process operates at temperatures of about 323-373 K with a molar isobutane/alkene ratio between 6 and 12 and a higher alkene space velocity than in the liquid acid-catalyzed processes. Preliminary details of the process concept have been described (240). 

Concerning the (generally complicated) polymerisation of higher alkenes, it is shown that the transfer of CHf, analogous to H transfer, may play a significant part, except for isobutene. The energetic reasons for the distinctive polymerisation behaviour of isobutene are analysed, with special reference to the energetics of the transfer of protons or carbonium ions to monomer. The hypothetical termination reaction for the isobutene-BF3 polymerisation. 

An excess of ligand, including CO, will often inhibit isomerisation. HCo(CO)4, an unstable hydrido-carbonyl complex, belongs to the examples of catalysts also active in an atmosphere of CO. This is the only homogeneous catalyst being commercially applied, albeit primarily for its hydroformylation activity. Higher alkenes are available as their terminal isomers or as mixtures of internal isomers and the latter, the cheaper product, is mainly converted to aldehydes/alcohols by hydroformylation technology. Later we will see that the isomerisation reaction also plays a pivotal role in this system. Since 1990 several catalysts based on rhodium, platinum and palladium have been discovered that will also hydroformylate internal products to terminal aldehydes. 

In Chapter 8 we will discuss the hydroformylation of propene using rhodium catalysts. Rhodium is most suited for the hydroformylation of terminal alkenes, as we shall discuss later. In older plants cobalt is still used for the hydroformylation of propene, but the most economic route for propene hydroformylation is the Ruhrchemie/Rhone-Poulenc process using two-phase catalysis with rhodium catalysts. For higher alkenes, cobalt is still the preferred catalyst, although recently major improvements on rhodium (see Chapter 8) and palladium catalysts have been reported [3],... 

The higher alkene feed (C10-14) for the production of detergent alcohols is either a product from the wax-cracker (terminal and internal alkenes) or the byproduct of the ethene oligomerisation process (internal alkenes). In the near future a feed from high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch may be added to this. The desired aldehyde (or alcohol) product is the linear one and the cobalt catalyst must therefore perform several functions ... 

In the following sections a few typical processes will be described. An example of a cobalt catalysed hydroformylation reaction for higher alkenes is the Kuhlmann process (now Exxon process), for which the flow-scheme -a liquid/liquid separation- is shown in Figure 7.4. In this process the hydroformylation is done in one, organic phase consisting of alkene and aldehyde. The reactor is often a loop reactor or a reactor with an external loop to facilitate heat transfer. 

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