Hydrogen mechanisms

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. 

Scheme 4.17 Simplified alkene hydrogenation mechanism using Wilkinson s catalyst...

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. 

Reduction of acetophenone by PrOH/H has been studied with the ruthenium complexes [Ru(H)(ri2-BH )(CO)L(NHC)], (L = NHC, PPh3, NHC = IMes, IPr, SIPr). The activity of the system is dependent on the nature of the NHC and requires the presence of both PrOH and H, implying that transfer and direct hydrogenation mechanisms may be operating in parallel [15]. 

Over Cu/MgO the transfer from 2-propanol is much faster than molecular H2 addition (entry 1, Table 2), thus excluding the dehydrogenation-hydrogenation mechanism. For the other donors, the reaction needs to carried out at 140°C to reach reasonable rates. 

Hydrogenation Mechanism of Coals by Structural Analysis of Reaction Products... 

In this investigation, a labelled donor solvent was used to determine which structural positions in the coal products incorporate deuterium and to investigate the exchange of protium in the coal with deuterium in the donor solvent. It is important to understand this fundamental chemistry because a number of pilot plants use donor solvents (15-17). The yields of liquefied coal products may be improved through a detailed understanding of the hydrogenation mechanisms. 

CO insertion reactions. The catalytic hydrogenation mechanism presented was based on detection of species 64 and HC1 during hydrogenation of ethylene, Eq. (92). Species 65 then catalyzes the reaction by pathways outlined in Eq. (5). 

An interesting catalytic ruthenium system, Ru(7/5-C5Ar4OH)(CO)2H based on substituted cyclopentadienyl ligands was discovered by Shvo and coworkers [95— 98]. This operates in a similar fashion to the Noyori system of Scheme 3.12, but transfers hydride from the ruthenium and proton from the hydroxyl group on the ring in an outer-sphere hydrogenation mechanism. The source of hydrogen can be H2 or formic acid. Casey and coworkers have recently shown, on the basis of kinetic isotope effects, that the transfer of H+ and TT equivalents to the ketone for the Shvo system and the Noyori system (Scheme 3.12) is a concerted process [99, 100]. 

Several systems have been reported involving stoichiometric hydrogenation of ketones or aldehydes by metal hydrides in the presence of acids. An ionic hydrogenation mechanism accounts for most of these hydrogenations, though in some examples alternative mechanisms involving the insertion of a ketone into a M-H bond are also plausible. 

A Tour Guide to Mass Spectrometric Studies of Hydrogenation Mechanisms... 

Scheme 14.8 General hydrogenation mechanism catalyzed by cationic [Rh(nbd)Ln]+ species (19) [21].

Scheme 14.15 Proposed hydrogenation mechanism for the 1,4-hydrogenation of dienes by [Cr(CO)3 (arene)] (45).

Scheme 14.18 Proposed 1,4-hydrogenation mechanism for the hydrogenation of dienes by cationic rhodium complexes [P2Rh(diene)]+A (54).

Ionic hydrogenation mechanisms involve the sequential transfer of hydride and proton to the substrate [67]. This was suggested by the Leitner group for the hydrogenation of C02 with the catalyst precursor RhH(dppp)2 (Scheme 17.7) [50]. Spectroscopic evidence for each of the three intermediates was obtained by studying the steps as stoichiometric reactions. However, catalyst precursors that generate the highly active RhH (diphosphine) species in solution were subsequently found to operate by a more conventional insertion mechanism [20]. 

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