Hydride abstraction inhibition

Hirschler and Hudson (36/6), however, favor the opinion that Bronsted sites are exclusively responsible for the activity of silica-alumina. In studying the adsorption of perylene and of triphenylmethane, they concluded that carbonium ions are not formed by a hydride abstraction mechanism as claimed by Leftin (362). Instead, triphenylmethane is oxidized by chemisorbed oxygen to triphenylcarbinol in a photo-catalyzed reaction, followed by reaction with a Bronsted acid giving water and a triphenylmethyl carbonium ion. After treatment with anhydrous ammonia, the organic compound was recovered by extraction as triphenylcarbinol. About thirteen molecules of ammonia per assumed Lewis site were required to poison the chemisorption of trityl ions. The authors explain the selective inhibition of certain catalyzed reactions by alkali by assuming that only certain of the acidic protons will ion-exchange with alkali ions. 

The allenylsilanes are excellent nucleophiles and they can react with a variety of electrophilic species in annulation processes that provide access to diverse products. Allenylsilane 112 (Eq. 13.36) reacts with tropylium fluoroborate 111 to provide azu-lene 113 [35]. The reaction is slow and it is necessary to use an acid scavenger so as to inhibit protiodesilylation by the fluoroboric acid that is generated during the course of the annulation. The excess tropylium salt abstracts a hydride from the reaction intermediate leading to the azulene. There are relatively few direct methods for the synthesis of azulenes. 

Results from the third series, in which isobutylene was added as comonomer, are still more difficult to explain. Activity was mildly inhibited, and very little density suppression was observed, which indicates that there was very little incorporation. However, there was again a pronounced rise in the MI of the polymer. This result is all the more remarkable because 1,2-incorporation of isobutylene does not result in polymer containing a (3-hydride to abstract. 

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