Olefins hydrocyanation

Examples include acetal hydrolysis, base-catalyzed aldol condensation, olefin hydroformylation catalyzed by phosphine-substituted cobalt hydrocarbonyls, phosphate transfer in biological systems, enzymatic transamination, adiponitrile synthesis via hydrocyanation, olefin hydrogenation with Wilkinson s catalyst, and osmium tetroxide-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins. 

Additions include the attachment of two univalent atoms or groups (called addends) to an unsaturated system, e. g., to olefins, carbonyl groups, aromatic systems, carbenes, etc. (Rule 2.1). For example, the addition of hydrocyanic acid to the car-... 

The hydrocyanation of conjugated carbonyl compounds is a related reaction.83 Very often such a conjugated addition is carried out in aqueous conditions. For example, in the pioneer work of Lapworth, hydrocyanation of activated olefins was carried out with KCN or NaCN in aqueous ethanol in the presence of acetic acid (Eq. 10.36).84... 

Tolman, C. A. McKinney, R. J. Seidel, W. C. Druliner, J. D. Stevens, W. R. Homogeneous Catalysed Olefin-hydrocyanation. In Homogeneous Catalyzed Olefin Hydrocyanation Advances in Catalysis Series 33 Academic Press New York, 1985, pp 1-46. 

Hydrocyanation of olefins and dienes is an extremely important reaction [32] (about 75 % of the world s adiponitrile production is based on the hydrocyanation of 1,3-butediene). Not surprisingly, already one of the first Rhone Poluenc patents on the use of water soluble complexes of TPPTS described the Ni-catalyzed hydration of butadiene and 3-pentenenitrile (Scheme 9.10). The aqueous phase with the catalyst could be recycled, however the reaction was found not sufficiently selective. 

The asymmetric reactions discussed in this chapter may be divided into three different types of reaction, as (1) hydrometallation of olefins followed by the C—C bond formation, (2) two C C bond formations on a formally divalent carbon atom, and (3) nucleophilic addition of cyanide or isocyanide anion to a carbonyl or its analogs (Scheme 4.1). For reaction type 1, here described are hydrocarbonyla-tion represented by hydroformylation and hydrocyanation. As for type 2, Pauson-Khand reaction and olefin/CO copolymerization are mentioned. Several nucleophilic additions to aldehydes and imines (or iminiums) are described as type 3. 

New catalyst design further highlights the utility of the scaffold and functional moieties of the Cinchona alkaloids. his-Cinchona alkaloid derivative 43 was developed by Corey [49] for enantioselective dihydroxylation of olefins with OsO. The catalyst was later employed in the Strecker hydrocyanation of iV-allyl aldimines. The mechanistic logic behind the catalyst for the Strecker reaction presents a chiral ammonium salt of the catalyst 43 (in the presence of a conjugate acid) that would stabilize the aldimine already activated via hydrogen-bonding to the protonated quinuclidine moiety. Nucleophilic attack by cyanide ion to the imine would give an a-amino nitrile product (Scheme 10). 

Among other nonaddition processes, adiponitrile may be manufactured by the direct hydrocyanation of 1,3-butadiene (DuPont process).169 172,187 196 A homogeneous Ni(0) complex catalyzes both steps of addition of HCN to the olefinic bonds (Scheme 6.4). The isomeric monocyano butenes (20 and 21) are first formed in a ratio of approximately 1 2. All subsequent steps, the isomerization of 20 to the desired 1,4-addition product (21), a further isomerization step (double-bond migration), and the addition of the second molecule of HCN, are promoted by Lewis acids (ZnCl2 or SnCl2). Without Lewis acids the last step is much slower then the addition of the first molecule of HCN. Reaction temperatures below 150°C are employed. 

The addition of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) to carbon-carbon double bonds activated by electron-withdrawing groups in the presence of a base as a catalyst (a variation of the Michael Reaction) has been known for a long time. Nitriles were also obtained by hydrocyanation of branched olefins, such as isobutylene and trimethylethylene, in vapor phase reactions in particular the reactions over alumina (3) and cobalt-on-alumina (4) were reported in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Addition of HCN to conjugated dienes in the presence of cuprous salts (vapor and liquid phase) was reported as early as 1947 (5). 

Whereas many nickel-catalyzed olefin hydrocyanation reactions may be run in the batch mode (i.e., all reagents charged to the vessel at the beginning of reaction), it is often preferable to feed one or more components in a... 

In this article, we will discuss the chemistry behind the du Pont adiponitrile process from a mechanistic viewpoint (10). It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the hydrocyanation literature. We will restrict ourselves rather to homogeneous nickel-catalyzed hydrocyanation of olefins and will depend primarily on du Pont studies. Reviews which explore hydrocyanation in a more general way include those of Brown (77), Hubert and Puentes (72), and James (73). A general review of low-valent organo-nickel chemistry has been published by Jolly and Wilke (14). 

Before discussing hydrocyanation chemistry we will explore the interaction of zero-valent nickel phosphite complexes with various independent components of the catalytic system. Then, in turn, we will examine the catalyzed addition of HCN to butadiene, the isomerization of olefins, and the addition of HCN to monoolefins. Finally, a summary of the mechanism as it is now understood will be presented. 

Hydrogen cyanide smoothly adds to butadiene (BD) in the presence of zero-valent nickel catalysts to give (3PN) and (2M3BN) [1,4- and 1,2-addition products, respectively, Eq. (7)]. A variety of Ni[P(OR)3]4 (R = alkyl or aryl) complexes are suitable as catalysts. The reaction may be carried out neat or in a variety of aromatic or nitrile solvents at temperatures from 50-120°C. Whereas in many olefin hydrocyanations it is desirable to keep the HCN concentration very low to protect the nickel from degradation, with butadiene HCN may be added batchwise as long as the HCN concentration is kept near the butadiene concentration. In the case of batch reactions one must be cautious because of possible temperature rises of 50°C or more over a period of a few minutes. Under typical batch conditions, when Ni[P(OEt)3]4, butadiene, and HCN are allowed to react in a ratio of 0.03 1.0 1.0 at 100°C for 8 hr, a 65% conversion to 3PN and 2M3BN (1.5 1) is observed (7). 

The isomerization of the internal olefin 3PN to the terminal olefin 4PN is a critical step in the hydrocyanation of 3PN to ADN [Eqs. (9) and (10)]. Unfortunately, there is a loss in yield because the undesirable conjugated isomer 2PN is also produced. Observations discussed below have led us to the belief that cationic nickel-hydride complexes, HNiL4, may be important in the isomerization process. 

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