Hydroformylations of a-olefines

Copper, and occasionally silver, have been used as catalysts for hydroformylation of a-olefins. Phosphite complexes of copper(I) chloride have been claimed as catalysts (126). Phthalocyanine complexes of Group IB metals have been stated to show a low degree of catalytic activity (127). One of the more interesting examples of copper catalysis was disclosed by McClure (128). Copper powder, with a controlled amount of water (0.2-4.0 moles H20/mole Cu), gave a slow conversion of pro-... 

The bis(phosphaferrocene) 22 gave good results in the hydroformylation of a-olefins regarding activity and n/iso selectivity [33]. 

Catalytic formation of carbon-carbon bonds is a powerful tool for construction of complex molecular architectures, and has been developed extensively for applications in organic synthesis. Three main classes of carbon-carbon bond forming reactions have been studied in sc C02 carbonylation (with particular attention paid to the hydroformylation of a-olefins), palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions involving aromatic halides, and olefin metathesis. 

Figure 11 Scheme representing reactions proposed to occur during the unpromoted-cobalt catalyzed hydroformylation of a-olefins. 

A parallel can be found in the work of Stanley et al. who described very efficient and selective dinuclear rhodium(I) complex 13 for the hydroformylation of a-olefins (Scheme 13) [58-60]. This bimetallic catalyst in its racemic form is much faster and more selective toward linear products than its monometallic analogues. The enhanced activity is attributed to the formation tmder catalytic conditions of highly active Rh(II) dimer species 14 with a covalent Rh-Rh bond. 

An increase in steric hindrance at the double bond deactivates the olefin toward hydroformylation in the following order 2-pentene > 3-hexene >4-octene [32]. Noteworthy, symmetric internal olefins, such as -4-octene, produce a higher yield of n-aldehyde than nonsymmetric ones, for example, 3-octene, due to the possibility of double bond migration to both ends. It should be remembered that hydroformylation of a-olefins as well as of fi-olefins can lead to the same 2-aldehydes. However, only with fi-olefins can 3-aldehydes also be formed. 

What products are expected from the hydroformylation of a-olefin ... 

The 0x0 process is employed to produce higher alcohols from linear and branched higher olefins. Using a catalyst that is highly selective for hydroformylation of linear olefins at the terminal carbon atom. Shell converts olefins from the Shell higher olefin process (SHOP) to alcohols. This results in a product that is up to 75—85% linear when a linear feedstock is employed. Other 0x0 processes, such as those employed by ICI, Exxon, and BASE (all in Europe), produce oxo-alcohols from a-olefin feedstocks such alcohols have a linearity of about 60%. Enichem, on the other hand, produces... 

Linear terminal olefins are the most reactive in conventional cobalt hydroformylation. Linear internal olefins react at less than one-third that rate. A single methyl branch at the olefinic carbon of a terminal olefin reduces its reaction rate by a factor of 10 (2). For rhodium hydroformylation, linear a-olefins are again the most reactive. For example, 1-butene is about 20—40 times as reactive as the 2-butenes (3) and about 100 times as reactive as isobutylene. 

The formation of isomeric aldehydes is caused by cobalt organic intermediates, which are formed by the reaction of the olefin with the cobalt carbonyl catalyst. These cobalt organic compounds isomerize rapidly into a mixture of isomer position cobalt organic compounds. The primary cobalt organic compound, carrying a terminal fixed metal atom, is thermodynamically more stable than the isomeric internal secondary cobalt organic compounds. Due to the less steric hindrance of the terminal isomers their further reaction in the catalytic cycle is favored. Therefore in the hydroformylation of an olefin the unbranched aldehyde is the main reaction product, independent of the position of the double bond in the olefinic educt ( contrathermodynamic olefin isomerization) [49]. 

If cobalt carbonylpyridine catalyst systems are used, the formation of unbranched carboxylic acids is strongly favored not only by reaction of a-olefins but also by reaction of olefins with internal double bonds ( contrathermo-dynamic double-bond isomerization) [59]. The cobalt carbonylpyridine catalyst of the hydrocarboxylation reaction resembles the cobalt carbonyl-terf-phos-phine catalysts of the hydroformylation reaction. The reactivity of the cobalt-pyridine system in the hydrocarboxylation reaction is remarkable higher than the cobalt-phosphine system in the hydroformylation reaction, especially in the case of olefins with internal double bonds. This reaction had not found an industrial application until now. 

Our approach is to use the inexpensive ligands that are already used industrially as well as conventional solvents. The goal of this project is to develop a thermomorphic approach to the rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of higher olefins (>Ce) that enhances conversion rates and ease of product recovery while minimizing catalyst degradation and loss. 

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. 

Rhodium and cobalt carbonyls have long been known as thermally active hydroformylation catalysts. With thermal activation alone, however, they require higher temperatures and pressures than in the photocatalytic reaction. Iron carbonyl, on the other hand, is a poor hydroformylation catalyst at all temperatures under thermal activation. When irradiated under synthesis gas at 100 atm, the iron carbonyl catalyzes the hydroformylation of terminal olefins even at room temperatures, as was first discovered by P. Krusic. ESR studies suggested the formation of HFe9(C0) radicals as the active catalyst, /25, 26/. Our own results support this idea, 111,28/. Light is necessary to start the hydroformylation of 1-octene with the iron carbonyl catalyst. Once initiated, the reaction proceeds even in the... 

A similar set of experiments was carried out with the phosphine substituted derivative Co2(CO),L2 (L = PBu3). Again it was shown that Co(C0)3L radicals were not involved in the hydroformylation of aliphatic olefins /32/. It is quite clear now, however, that such radicals may play a role in the hydrogenation of aromatic olefins, like styrene, stilbene, etc. /34, 35/. 

Interception of the reaction sequence at the alkylcobalt carbonyl stage before carbonyl insertion, and hydrogenation of this intermediate, produces an alkane. This undesired side reaction is only minor (1-3%) in cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation of a nonfunctional olefin, but may become predominant with phenyl- or acyl-substituted olefins. Ethylbenzene has been obtained in >50% yield from styrene (37), and even more alkane was obtained from a-methylstyrene (35). 

Because of the extreme industrial importance of simple hydrocarbons such as propylene in hydroformylation, the reaction of a-olefins has been studied in much detail. As noted before, the formyl group can be attached to either of the carbon atoms which constitute the original double bond. For olefins of greater than C3 chain length, the formyl group may, under certain conditions, also be attached to a carbon atom which was originally saturated. But for propylene only two isomers are possible, as shown in Eq. (25). 

Secondary and tertiary amines can be obtained if the hydroformylation of olefins is conducted in the presence of primary and secondary amines under elevated hydrogen partial pressures. Here the rhodium catalyst is involved in both steps, the hydroformylation of an olefin as well as the hydrogenation of the imine or enamine resulting from a condensation of the oxo-aldehyde with the amine (Scheme 14). This combination of hydroformylation and reductive amination is also known as hydroaminomethylation and has been applied to the synthesis of various substrates of pharmaceutical interest [55-57] as well as to the synthesis of macrocycles [60-63] and dendrimers [64,65]. 

If the hydroformylation of olefins is conducted in the presence of aromatic hydrazines and Bronsted or Lewis acids indoles can be obtained directly in one pot [91-93,95]. Hydroformylation of the olefin gives an intermediate aldehyde, which is trapped immediately by the present aromatic hydrazine as an aromatic hydrazones similar to the formation of imines under hydroformylation conditions. Under acid mediation these aromatic hydrazones undergo a Fischer indolization, consisting of a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by a cyclization and elimination of ammonia (Scheme 38). 

Even 2,3-disubstituted indoles can be achieved if internal olefins are used. Regioselective hydroformylation of a styrene-type olefin and subsequent hy-drazone formation and Fischer indolization gives an intermediate indole with a quaternary center in 3-position. The regained aromaticity is the driving force for the rearrangement of one substituent into the 2-position of the indole core (Scheme 39). 

Hydroformylation of hetero olefins such as carbonyl compounds is not known to proceed with significant levels of efficiency, whereas the hydroformylation of olefins has been developed to a sophisticated stage. Generally, aldehydes resultant from the latter process exhibit a low propensity to undergo further hydroformylation, with the exception of some activated aldehydes. The rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of formaldehyde is the key step in the synthesis of ethyleneglycol from synthesis gas. Chan et al. found... 

Hydroaminomethylation is a simple, efficient and atom-economic method to synthesize various amines. This one-pot reaction consists of three consecutive steps in the first step a hydroformylation of an olefin is performed followed by the reaction of the resulting aldehyde with a primary or secondary amine to give the corresponding enamine or imine. Lastly, this intermediate is hydrogenated to the desired secondary or tertiary amine (Fig. 11) [33-39]. In most cases rhodium salts or complexes are used as the homogeneous catalyst in the hydroaminomethylation. 

Raffinate-II typically consists of40 % 1-butene, 40 % 2-butene and 20 % butane isomers. [RhH(CO)(TPPTS)3] does not catalyze the hydroformylation of internal olefins, neither their isomerization to terminal alkenes. It follows, that in addition to the 20 % butane in the feed, the 2-butene content will not react either. Following separation of the aqueous catalyts phase and the organic phase of aldehydes, the latter is freed from dissolved 2-butene and butane with a counter flow of synthesis gas. The crude aldehyde mixture is fractionated to yield n-valeraldehyde (95 %) and isovaleraldehyde (5 %) which are then oxidized to valeric add. Esters of n-valeric acid are used as lubricants. Unreacted butenes (mostly 2-butene) are hydroformylated and hydrogenated in a high pressure cobalt-catalyzed process to a mixture of isomeric amyl alcohols, while the remaining unreactive components (mostly butane) are used for power generation. Production of valeraldehydes was 12.000 t in 1995 [8] and was expected to increase later. 

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