Catalysis insertion reactions

Inositolpolyphosphoric acid antistain agent photography, 104 Insertion reactions catalysis... 

One of the most dramatic recent developments in metal carbene chemistry catalyzed by dirhodium(II) has been demonstration of the feasibility and usefulness of intermolecular carbon-hydrogen insertion reactions [38, 91]. These were made possible by recognition of the unusual reactivity and selectivity of aryl- and vinyldiazoacetates [12] and the high level of electronic control that is possible in their reactions. Some of the products that have been formed in these reactions, and their selectivities with catalysis by Rh2(S-DOSP)4, are reported in Scheme 10. 

Much of the recent interest in insertion reactions undeniably stems from the emphasis placed on development of homogeneous catalysis as a rational discipline. One or more insertion is involved in such catalytic processes as the hydroformylation (31) or the polymerization of olefins 26, 75) and isocyanides 244). In addition, many insertion reactions have been successfully employed in organic and organometallic synthesis. The research in this general area has helped systematize a large body of previously unrelated facts and opened new areas of chemistry for investigation. Heck 114) and Lappert and Prokai 161) provide a comprehensive compilation and a systematic discussion of a wide variety of insertion reactions in two relatively recent (1965 and 1967) reviews. 

G. P. Chiusoli Catalysis of some insertion reactions by nickel complexes, pp, 169-199 (31). 

Activation of a C-H bond requires a metallocarbenoid of suitable reactivity and electrophilicity.105-115 Most of the early literature on metal-catalyzed carbenoid reactions used copper complexes as the catalysts.46,116 Several chiral complexes with Ce-symmetric ligands have been explored for selective C-H insertion in the last decade.117-127 However, only a few isolated cases have been reported of impressive asymmetric induction in copper-catalyzed C-H insertion reactions.118,124 The scope of carbenoid-induced C-H insertion expanded greatly with the introduction of dirhodium complexes as catalysts. Building on initial findings from achiral catalysts, four types of chiral rhodium(n) complexes have been developed for enantioselective catalysis in C-H activation reactions. They are rhodium(n) carboxylates, rhodium(n) carboxamidates, rhodium(n) phosphates, and < // < -metallated arylphosphine rhodium(n) complexes. 

In this chapter we will discuss some aspects of the carbonylation catalysis with the use of palladium catalysts. We will focus on the formation of polyketones consisting of alternating molecules of alkenes and carbon monoxide on the one hand, and esters that may form under the same conditions with the use of similar catalysts from alkenes, CO, and alcohols, on the other hand. As the potential production of polyketone and methyl propanoate obtained from ethene/CO have received a lot of industrial attention we will concentrate on these two products (for a recent monograph on this chemistry see reference [1]). The elementary reactions involved are the same formation of an initiating species, insertion reactions of CO and ethene, and a termination reaction. Multiple alternating (1 1) insertions will lead to polymers or oligomers whereas a stoichiometry of 1 1 1 for CO, ethene, and alcohol leads to an ester. 

We discussed this catalysis recently (141st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, March 1962) in terms of an olefin insertion reaction involving a Pt(II) olefin complex (3). We found that catalysis was only accomplished by platinum compounds capable of coordinating olefins. For example, substitution by tertiary phosphines blocks coordination by olefins and greatly reduces the catalytic activity of Pt(II). The substitution by phosphines does not affect the ability of the complexes to cleave the Si—H bond, however. The hindering of a catalytic reaction by blocking coordination sites is a common occurrence and is, I think, a persuasive... 

Of the presently known reactions, production of the formate complex predominates. Catalysis of the hydrogen reduction of C02, which apparently involves insertion into a metal-hydrogen bond, is considered later. Here we consider the insertion reaction itself. 

The efficiency of /-elements in catalysis originates from unconventional electrophilic pathways. In contrast to rf-elements oxidative addition/reductive elimination sequences are not accessible. Instead, substrate adduct formation, ligand exchange and insertion reactions rule the mechanistic scenarios. Therefore, the main emphasis is put on the fine-tuning of the spectator ligand of the precatalyst. 

The field of acetylene complex chemistry continues to develop rapidly and to yield novel discoveries. A number of recent reviews 1-10) covers various facets including preparation, structure, nature of bonding, stoichiometric and catalytic reactions, and specific aspects with particular metals. The first part of this account is confined to those facets associated with the nature of the interactions between acetylenes and transition metals and to the insertion reactions of complexes closely related to catalysis. Although only scattered data are available, attempts will be made to give a consistent interpretation of the reactivities of coordinated acetylene in terms of a qualitative molecular orbital picture. 

Silacyclobutanes as well as silacyclopropanes undergo aldehyde insertion under catalysis by /-BuOK (Equation (77)).292 The reaction of silacyclobutanes with lithium carbenoids such as dihalomethyllithium and oxiranyllithium gives 2-substituted silacyclopentanes (Equation (78)). Treatment of l-(l-iodoalkyl)- and 1-oxiranyl-silacyclobutanes with a stoichiometric amount of an alkali alkoxide leads to silacyclopentanes by anionic 1,2-shift of the ring carbon adjacent to silicon. These ring-expansion reactions proceed probably via a pentacoordinate silane intermediate. 

Because these insertion reactions create new bonds at completely unfunctionalized centres, they can be very useful in synthesis. This next carbene is created between two carbonyl groups from a diazocompound with rhodium catalysis and selectively inserts into a C-H bond five atoms away to form a substituted cyclopentanonc. 

In homogeneous catalytic reactions, old bonds are usually broken by oxidative addition reactions and new bonds are formed by reductive elimination and insertion reactions. A few representative examples that are of relevance to catalysis are shown by Reactions 2.8-2.11. The following points deserve attention. Reactions 2.8, 2.9, and 2.10 are crucial steps in hydrogenation, polymerization, and CO-involving catalytic reactions. Reaction 2.8 is, of course, just the reverse of /8-hydride elimination. Sometimes this reaction is also called a hydride attack or hydride transfer reaction. 

As already indicated in the discussion on formyl formation, the transition state on a metal surface may be closely related to that found in the organometallic complexes used in homogeneous catalysis. The p orbital stabilizing interactions have also been shown to play an important role in insertion reactions occurring in organic-metallic complexes [84,85]. It explains, for instance, the higher activa-... 

Indoles treated with dimethyl diazomalonate under catalysis by rhodium(II) acetate undergo GH and NH insertion reactions depending on the substitution pattern on the indole moiety (e.g., Scheme 84) <2002JOC6247>. 

Simple alkyls or aryls have also been made many such as Fe(CO)2-(PMe3)2MeX122 (17-E-XXI) have been widely studied because of the importance of the CO insertion reaction which gives Fe(CO)2(PMe3)2(COMe)X and is used in catalysis. Another important subgroup is that of compounds of the type (porph)FeR123 which have been cited before. 

In the majority of catalytic reactions discussed in this chapter it has been possible to rationalize the reaction mechanism on the basis of the spectroscopic or structural identification of reaction intermediates, kinetic studies, and model reactions. Most of the reactions involve steps already discussed in Chapter 21, such as oxidative addition, reductive elimination, and insertion reactions. One may note, however, that it is sometimes difficult to be sure that a reaction is indeed homogeneous and not catalyzed heterogeneously by a decomposition product, such as a metal colloid, or by the surface of the reaction vessel. Some tests have been devised, for example the addition of mercury would poison any catalysis by metallic platinum particles but would not affect platinum complexes in solution, and unsaturated polymers are hydrogenated only by homogeneous catalysts. 

Whereas the CO insertion reaction has been investigated extensively in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis, there are only few first-principles investigations available for this reaction on transition metal surfaces (32,33,60). 

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