Regioselective hydroformylation

The effects of bisphosphite ligand structure on regioselectivity and enantio-selectivity in asymmetric styrene hydroformylation are shown in Table 1. Catalytic reactions were preformed at ambient temperature and 130 psi CO/H2. Hydroformylation regioselectivity was determined by GC of the product aldehydes. Enantioselectivity was determined by chiral GC after conversion to the carboxylic acid (eqn 1). The, i -enantiomer of the bisphosphites in Figure 1 all produced the... 

It seemed interesting to trap the iminium ion intermediate by performing an intramolecular aSH, so we plarmed a CHC/aSH/hydroformylation domino reaction (Scheme 10). This reaction involves an allylsilane present on the amine moiety which, in an acidic medium, reacts with an acyliminium ion derived from the CHC to form a vinyl group. The resulting vinyl double bond must be hydroformylated regioselectively by the rhodium complex present in the reaction medium to lead to a functionalized polycyclic structure. 

Figure 2. Influence of temperature on the hydroformylation regioselectivity of selected substrates in the presence of Rli4(CO)i2 as catalyst precursor...

Hydroformylation regioselectivity can be established by either four-coordinate or five-coordinate intermediates. In one possible mechanism, the regioselectivity is controlled by the relative concentrations of four-coordinate intermediates, 3c, 3t, 10c and lOt, which undergo irreversible formation of alkene hydride complexes, 4. Accordingly, this mechanism requires that interconversion of isomeric pairs 4ee/4ae and 4e/4a be slow relative to irreversible migratory insertion of alkene. 

These atom-economic reactions use only carbon monoxide and an appropriate alcohol or water as reagents, to install a carboxyl group onto an alkene via the formation of a new carbon-carbon bond. As with hydroformylation, regioselectivity is of clear importance for the generation of a chiral center, and high enantioselectivity is plainly desired for the reaction to be truly efficient. 

Ruthenium. Ruthenium, as a hydroformylation catalyst (14), has an activity signiftcandy lower than that of rhodium and even cobalt (22). Monomeric mthenium carbonyl triphenylphosphine species (23) yield only modest normal to branched regioselectivities under relatively forcing conditions. For example, after 22 hours at 120°C, 10 MPa (1450 psi) of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, biscarbonyltristriphenylphosphine mthenium [61647-76-5] ... 

The chemo- and regioselectivities of hydroformylation reactions of open chain, conjugated dienes using the usual catalyst are, in most cases, rather low [36]. The rhodium/ mesitylene co-condensate (catalyst A), in the presence of bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, DPPE, catalyses the hydroformylation of 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, and E,Z)-, 3-pentadiene to the corresponding p,y-unsaturated monoaldehydes, with unusually high chemo- and regioselectivities (Scheme 17). 

Regioselective reactions belong to the most important applications of homogeneous catalysis. An example is the hydroformylation of alkenes, which is a very important industrial reaction ... 

For long chain olefins, the hydroformylation generally proceeds slowly and with low selectivity in two-phase systems due to their poor solubility in water. Monflier et al. recently reported a conversion of up to 100% and a regioselectivity of up to 95% for the Rh-catalyzed hydroformylation of dec-l-ene in water, free of organic solvent, in the presence of partially methylated 6-cyclodextrins (Eq. 3.42).173... 

Abstract Recent advances in synthetic aspects of the rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes are reviewed. Emphasis is given to practical improvements, efficient new catalysts for regioselective and enantioselective hydroformylation, and to applications of the reaction in organic synthesis. Furthermore, new developments in directed hydroformylation are covered as well as new approaches toward efficient hydroformylation catalysts employing the concept of self-assembly. 

The regioselectivity of the hydroformylation of alkenes is a function of many factors. These include inherent substrate preferences, directing effects exerted by functional groups as part of the substrate, as well as catalyst effects. In order to appreciate substrate inherent regioselectivity trends, alkenes have to be classified according to the number and nature of their substitution pattern (Scheme 3) [4]. 

Scheme 3 Regioselectivity trends on hydroformylation of different alkene classes...

Branched-regioselective hydroformylation of unsaturated esters has been achieved [41]. The use of the phosphaadamantane ligand 1, which is readily available from acetylacetone and phenylphosphine (Eq. 1), proved particularly useful in terms of reaction rate, regio-, and chemoselectivity [42-44]. 

Much progress has been made on regioselective hydroformylation of terminal alkenes in favor of the linear product. In particular bidentate phosphine or phosphite ligands, which have a natural bite angle 9 of about 110°, will favor the linear product. The most successful ligand types are BISBI [49, 50], BIPHEPHOS [51,52], and XANTPHOS systems (Scheme 8) [53]. 

Scheme 8 Bidentate ligands for regioselective hydroformylation of terminal alkenes...

Recently, a new bidentate hemispherical chelating bisphosphite ligand based on a calixarene backbone has been designed for linear selective hydroformylation of alkenes (Scheme 9) [54], Excellent levels of regioselectivity have been observed, and even the intrinsic branched-selective hydroformylation of styrene could be overruled by this system. However, the system suffers from low catalytic activity. 

The major problem remains control of regioselectivity in favor of the branched regioisomer. While aryl alkenes as well as heteroatom-substituted alkenes favor the chiral branched isomer, for aliphatic alkenes such an intrinsic element of regiocontrol is not available. As a matter of fact branched-selective and asymmetric hydroformylation of aliphatic alkenes stands as an unsolved problem. In this respect regio- and enantioselective hydroformy-... 

Table 4 Turnover frequencies and regioselectivities (in parentheses) for a 5x2 ligand matrix of DA ligand (11,14-17)/AD ligand (12, 18) derived self-assembled bidentate ligands in the [Rh]-catalyzed hydroformylation of l-octenea... 

Table 5 Regioselectivities of rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-octene using toluene and MeOH as solventsa...

Ligand self-assembly through coordinative bonding has been used to increase the bulkiness of a monodentate tris-3-pyridyl phosphine ligand employing the zinc porphyrin/pyridine interaction (Scheme 33) [95-97]. The corresponding rhodium catalyst allowed for regioselective hydroformylation of2-octene [95]. 

A catalyst used for the u-regioselective hydroformylation of internal olefins has to combine a set of properties, which include high olefin isomerization activity, see reaction b in Scheme 1 outlined for 4-octene. Thus the olefin migratory insertion step into the rhodium hydride bond must be highly reversible, a feature which is undesired in the hydroformylation of 1-alkenes. Additionally, p-hydride elimination should be favoured over migratory insertion of carbon monoxide of the secondary alkyl rhodium, otherwise Ao-aldehydes are formed (reactions a, c). Then, the fast regioselective terminal hydroformylation of the 1-olefin present in a low equilibrium concentration only, will lead to enhanced formation of n-aldehyde (reaction d) as result of a dynamic kinetic control. 

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