Hydrogen donors catalytic reactions

There is more to tire Wilkinson hydrogenation mechanism tlian tire cycle itself a number of species in tire cycle are drained away by reaction to fomi species outside tire cycle. Thus, for example, PPh (Ph is phenyl) drains rhodium from tire cycle and tlius it inliibits tire catalytic reaction (slows it down). However, PPh plays anotlier, essential role—it is part of tire catalytically active species and, as an electron-donor ligand, it affects tire reactivities of tire intemiediates in tire cycle in such a way tliat tliey react rapidly and lead to catalysis. Thus, tliere is a tradeoff tliat implies an optimum ratio of PPh to Rli. 

The catalytic alcohol racemization with diruthenium catalyst 1 is based on the reversible transfer hydrogenation mechanism. Meanwhile, the problem of ketone formation in the DKR of secondary alcohols with 1 was identified due to the liberation of molecular hydrogen. Then, we envisioned a novel asymmetric reductive acetylation of ketones to circumvent the problem of ketone formation (Scheme 6). A key factor of this process was the selection of hydrogen donors compatible with the DKR conditions. 2,6-Dimethyl-4-heptanol, which cannot be acylated by lipases, was chosen as a proper hydrogen donor. Asymmetric reductive acetylation of ketones was also possible under 1 atm hydrogen in ethyl acetate, which acted as acyl donor and solvent. Ethanol formation from ethyl acetate did not cause critical problem, and various ketones were successfully transformed into the corresponding chiral acetates (Table 17). However, reaction time (96 h) was unsatisfactory. 

The concept at the heart of this reaction is the conversion of a hydrogen donor (alcohol) into a hydrogen acceptor (alkene) to close the catalytic cycle (Scheme 13.15). 

Catalytic hydrogenation transfers the elements of molecular hydrogen through a series of complexes and intermediates. Diimide, HN=NH, an unstable hydrogen donor that can be generated in situ, finds specialized application in the reduction of carbon-carbon double bonds. Simple alkenes are reduced efficiently by diimide, but other easily reduced functional groups, such as nitro and cyano are unaffected. The mechanism of the reaction is pictured as a concerted transfer of hydrogen via a nonpolar cyclic TS. 

The growth of the catalytic activity of Si02 with respect to the hydrogen-deuterium exchange reaction upon addition of a donor impurity to specimens has also been observed by Taylor and his colloborators (31). 

The great majority of experimental data (see Section III.A) indicate that the hydrogen-deuterium exchange reaction belongs to the class of acceptor reactions (i.e., reactions that are accelerated by electrons and decelerated by holes). This means that the experimenter, as a rule, remains on the acceptor branch of the thick curve in Fig. 8a, on which the chemisorbed hydrogen and deuterium atoms act as donors. Here a donor impurity must enhance the catalytic activity, while an acceptor impurity must decrease it. This is what actually occurs, as we have already seen (see Section III.A). 

Another method, in particular for the preparation of alcohols from ketones involves the transfer of hydrogen from a hydrogen donor. The classic example is the commercially applied Meerwein-Ponndorff-Verley reaction, which uses stoichiometric amounts of Al(O Pr)3 to produce acetone and the alkoxides of the alcohols desired [31], The catalytic version of this reaction, employing... 

The catalytic reduction of nitro groups is usually achieved using heterogeneous catalysts, although the iridium complex 28 has been shown to be effective for the reduction of p-nitroanisole 29 to the corresponding aniline 30 using isopropanol as the hydrogen donor (Scheme 8) [30]. In the reduction of some nitroarenes, azo compounds (Ar-N=N-Ar) could be formed as by-products or as the major product by variation of the reaction conditions. 

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