Hydrogenation alkenes and alkynes

Addition of hydrogen atoms in the presence of a metal catalyst to double or triple bonds is known as hydrogenation or catalytic hydrogenation. Alkenes and alkynes are reduced to alkanes by the treatment with H2 over a finely divided metal catalyst such as platinum (Pt—C), palladium (Pd—C) or Raney nickel (Ni). The platinum catalyst is also frequently used in the form of Pt02, which is known as Adams s catalyst. The catalytic hydrogenation reaction is a reduction reaction. 

Hydrogenation of benzene and other arenes is more difficult than hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes Two of the more active catalysts are rhodium and platinum and it IS possible to hydrogenate arenes m the presence of these catalysts at room temperature and modest pressure Benzene consumes three molar equivalents of hydrogen to give cyclohexane... 

Dia ene deductions. Olefins, acetylenes, and azo-compounds are reduced by hydrazine in the presence of an oxidizing agent. Stereochemical studies of alkene and alkyne reductions suggest that hydrazine is partially oxidized to the transient diazene [3618-05-1] (diimide, diimine) (9) and that the cis-isomer of diazene is the actual hydrogenating agent, acting by a concerted attack on the unsaturated bond ... 

The most striking difference between alkenes and alkynes is that terminal alkynes are weakly acidic. When a terminal alkyne is treated with a strong base, such as sodium amide, Na+ -NH2, the terminal hydrogen is removed and an acetylide anion is formed. 

Until recently, iron-catalyzed hydrogenation reactions of alkenes and alkynes required high pressure of hydrogen (250-300 atm) and high temperature (around 200°C) [21-23], which were unacceptable for industrial processes [24, 25]. In addition, these reactions showed low or no chemoselectivity presumably due to the harsh reaction conditions. Therefore, modifications of the iron catalysts were desired. 

Carbon forms a huge number of binary compounds with hydrogen. Three major categories of these compounds are alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. An alkane has only single bonds between carbon atoms. The four simplest alkanes, which are shown in Figure 3-7. are methane, ethane, propane, and butane. An alkene, on the other hand, contains one or more double bonds between carbons, and an alkyne has one or more triple bonds between carbon atoms. Figure shows the structures of ethylene, the simplest alkene, and acetylene, the simplest alkyne. 

Hydrocarbons are the simplest organic compounds, containing only carbon and hydrogen. There are three families of hydrocarbons. The alkanes have only single bonds and are said to be saturated. Alkanes are very stable and generally unreactive. Alkenes and alkynes have multiple bonds between two adjacent carbon atoms and are said to be unsaturated. This unsaturation makes alkenes and alkynes more reactive than alkanes. 

The hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes in water can also use silanes as hydrogen sources. Tour reported that by using palladium acetate as catalyst, triethoxysilane reduced C-C unsaturated bonds to saturation in a mixture of THF and water.18 The reaction showed excellent chemo- and stereoselectivity. Water was essential to the reaction. In the absence of water, 95% of the starting alkene remained unchanged (Eq. 3.3). 

Catalytic Reductive Coupling of Alkenes and Alkynes to Carbonyl Compounds and Imines Mediated by Hydrogen... 

Ihmels H, Otto D (2005) Intercalation of Organic Dye Molecules into Double-Stranded DNA - General Principles and Recent Developments. 258 161-204 Iida H, Krische MJ (2007) Catalytic Reductive Coupling of Alkenes and Alkynes to Carbonyl Compounds and Imines Mediated by Hydrogen. 279 77-104 Imai H (2007) Self-Organized Formation of Hierarchical Structures. 270 43-72 Indelli MT, see Chiorboli C (2005) 257 63-102 Inoue Y, see Borovkov VV (2006) 265 89-146 Ishii A, Nakayama J (2005) Carbodithioic Acid Esters. 251 181-225 Ishii A, Nakayama J (2005) Carboselenothioic and Carbodiselenoic Acid Derivatives and Related Compounds. 251 227-246... 

Synthesis of Alkanes and Cycloalkanes 4.18A Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes... 

Alkenes and alkynes react with hydrogen in the presence of metal catalysts such... 

Duckett381 reported on the use of parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) to delineate the pathways involved in the catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes by [Ru3(CO)12 x(PPh3)x] (x = 1 or 2) and showed that the mechanism is highly dependent on the solvent. Bassett and... 

The gas-phase reaction of cationic zirconocene species, ZrMeCp2, with alkenes and alkynes was reported to involve two major reaction sequences, which are the migratory insertion of these unsaturated hydrocarbons into the Zr-Me bond (Eq. 3) and the activation of the C-H bond via er-bonds metathesis rather than /J-hydrogen shift/alkene elimination (Eq. 4) [130,131]. The insertion in the gas-phase closely parallels the solution chemistry of Zr(R)Cp2 and other isoelec-tronic complexes. Thus, the results derived from calculations based on this gas-phase reactivity should be correlated directly to the solution reactivity (vide infra). 

Rhodium(II) acetate complexes of formula [Rh2(OAc)4] have been used as hydrogenation catalysts [20, 21]. The reaction seems to proceed only at one of the rhodium atoms of the dimeric species [20]. Protonated solutions of the dimeric acetate complex in the presence of stabilizing ligands have been reported as effective catalysts for the reduction of alkenes and alkynes [21]. 

Muetterties has suggested that the dimeric hydride [RhH(P OiPr 3)2]2 catalyzes alkene and alkyne hydrogenation via dinuclear intermediates [91]. However, no kinetic evidence has been reported to prove the integrity of the catalysts during the reactions. On the other hand, studies of the kinetics of the hydrogenation of cyclohexene catalyzed by the heterodinuclear complexes [H(CO) (PPh3)2Ru((u-bim)M(diene)] (M = Rh, Ir bim=2,2 -biimidazolate) suggested that the full catalytic cycle involves dinuclear intermediates [92]. 

The high activity of the polymeric compound [Pd5(PPh2)]n (n 4) [22] in the hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes was ascribed to the initial DMF-assisted dissociation of the polymer (Eq. (7)) the resulting [Pd5(PPh)2] species forms an adduct with the substrate molecule (Sub) (Eq. (8)) which, after reaction with H2, leads to the hydrogenation product and gives back [Pd5(PPh)2] (Eq. (9)), which re-enters the catalytic cycle. 

Until now, most studies on homogeneous hydrogenation by clusters have concentrated on alkenes and alkynes, though hopefully other substrates such as aldehydes, ketones, imines, and others will be further investigated, particularly using those systems that are now known to be genuine cluster catalysts. 

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