Homogeneous hydrogenation rhodium

Brown JM, Parker D. Mechanism of asymmetric homogeneous hydrogenation. Rhodium-catalyzed reductions with deuterium and hydrogen deuteride. Organometallics 1982 l(7) 950-956. 

A number of catalysts are known to effect homogeneous hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., some oxidized rhodium complexes (/, p. 238), some rhodium 7r-complexes with phenyl carboxylates (/, p. 283), some Ziegler systems (/, p. 363), and Co2(CO)8 (/, p. 173). However, the catalysts in the first three systems are not well characterized, and the carbonyl systems require fairly severe hydroformylation conditions, although they are reasonably selective, possibly via radical pathways (Section II, C). 

The synthesis of cationic rhodium complexes constitutes another important contribution of the late 1960s. The preparation of cationic complexes of formula [Rh(diene)(PR3)2]+ was reported by several laboratories in the period 1968-1970 [17, 18]. Osborn and coworkers made the important discovery that these complexes, when treated with molecular hydrogen, yield [RhH2(PR3)2(S)2]+ (S = sol-vent). These rhodium(III) complexes function as homogeneous hydrogenation catalysts under mild conditions for the reduction of alkenes, dienes, alkynes, and ketones [17, 19]. Related complexes with chiral diphosphines have been very important in modern enantioselective catalytic hydrogenations (see Section 1.1.6). 

Several heteroaromatic compounds can be hydrogenated by [Rh(COD) (PPh3)2]+ species. Thus, this cationic complex has been reported to be a catalyst precursor for the homogeneous hydrogenation of heteroaromatic compounds such as quinoline [32] or benzothiophene [33]. Detailed mechanistic cycles have been proposed by Sanchez-Delgado and coworkers. The mechanism of hydrogenation of benzothiophene by the cationic rhodium(III) complex, [Rh(C5Me5) (MeCN)3]2+, has been elucidated by Fish and coworkers [34]. 

Following Wilkinson s discovery of [RhCl(PPh3)3] as an homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst for unhindered alkenes [14b, 35], and the development of methods to prepare chiral phosphines by Mislow [36] and Horner [37], Knowles [38] and Horner [15, 39] each showed that, with the use of optically active tertiary phosphines as ligands in complexes of rhodium, the enantioselective asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral C=C double bonds is possible (Scheme 1.8). 

There is much current excitement and activity in the field of homogeneous hydrogenation using ruthenium catalysts. This is reflected in the recent, explosive increase in the number of research publications in this area, now rivaling those for rhodium catalysts (Fig. 3.1). Meanwhile, the price of rhodium metal has risen dramatically, becoming about ten times that of ruthenium, on a molar basis. The number of reports on the use of osmium catalysts has remained low, partly because of the higher price of osmium compounds - about ten times that of ruthenium - and partly because the activity of osmium catalysts is often lower. 

The binuclear precursor (di-,u-chloro-bis-[ /4-2,5-norbomadiene]-rhodium(I)) = [(Rh(NBD)Cl]2 is well suited for the in-situ preparation of a variety of homogeneous hydrogenation catalysts, if tertiary phosphines (here PMe3, PMe2Ph,... 

In 1968, Knowles et al. [1] and Horner et al. [2] independently reported the use of a chiral, enantiomerically enriched, monodentate phosphine ligand in the rhodium-catalyzed homogeneous hydrogenation of a prochiral alkene (Scheme 28.1). Although enantioselectivities were low, this demonstrated the transformation of Wilkinson s catalyst, Rh(PPh3)3Cl [3] into an enantioselective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst [4]. 

Many catalysts, certainly those most widely used such as platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, nickel, Raney nickel, and catalysts for homogeneous hydrogenation such as tris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium chloride are now commercially available. Procedures for the preparation of catalysts are therefore described in detail only in the cases of the less common ones (p. 205). Guidelines for use and dosage of catalysts are given in Table 1. 

Reduction of the double bond only was achieved by catalytic hydrogenation over palladium prepared by reduction with sodium borohydride. This catalyst does not catalyze hydrogenation of the aldehyde group [31]. Also sodium borohydride-reduced nickel was used for conversion of cinnamaldehyde to hydrocinnamaldehyde [31]. Homogeneous hydrogenation over tris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium chloride gave 60% of hydrocinnamaldehyde and 40% of ethylbenzene [5(5]. Raney nickel, by contrast, catalyzes total reduction to hydrocinnamyl alcohol [4S. Total reduction of both the double... 

Hydrogenation of phthalic anhydride over copper chromite afforded 82.5% yield of the lactone, phthalide, and 9.8% of o-toluic acid resulting from hydrogenolysis of a carbon-oxygen bond [1015]. Homogeneous hydrogenation of a,a-dimethylsuccinic anhydride over tris(triphenylphos-phine)rhodium chloride gave 65% of a,a-dimethyl- and 7% of )S,)S-dimethyl-butyrolactone [1016]. 

The automatic procedure for time-series reference spectra generation was first demonstrated for the homogeneous catalyzed rhodium hydroformylation of cyclo-octene using Rh4(CO)i2 as precursor, n-hexane as solvent and FTIR as the in situ spectroscopy at 298 K [64]. Upon addition of hydrogen to the system, hydroformylation is initiated. A typical reaction spectrum (k=7) and the pre-conditioned... 

The history of homogeneous hydrogenation with a transition metal catalyst really started in 1966 with the development of Wilkinson s catalyst (Figure 9.2). This rhodium complex was the first that allowed the controlled reduction of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds under mild conditions [3]. 

In principle, the mechanism of homogeneous hydrogenation, in the chiral as well as in the achiral case, can follow two pathways (Figure 9.5). These involve either dihydrogen addition, followed by olefin association ( hydride route , as described in detail for Wilkinson s catalyst, vide supra) or initial association of the olefin to the rhodium center, which is then followed by dihydrogen addition ( unsaturate route ). As a rule of thumb, the hydride route is typical for neutral, Wilkinson-type catalysts whereas the catalytic mechanism for cationic complexes containing diphosphine chelate ligands seems to be dominated by the unsaturate route [1]. 

For the rational design of transition metal catalyzed reactions, as well as for fine-tuning, it is vital to know about the catalytic mechanism in as much detail as possible. Apart from kinetic measurements, the only way to learn about mechanistic details is direct spectroscopic observation of reactive intermediates. In this chapter, we have demonstrated that NMR spectroscopy is an invaluable tool in this respect. In combination with other physicochemical effects (such as parahydrogen induced nuclear polarization) even reactive intermediates, which are present at only very low concentrations, can be observed and fully characterized. Therefore, it might be worthwhile not only to apply standard experiments, but to go and exploit some of the more exotic techniques that are now available and ready to use. The successful story of homogeneous hydrogenation with rhodium catalysts demonstrates impressively that this really might be worth the effort. 

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