Iridium carbonylation cycle

The Ir-catalyzed methanol carbonylation reaction has been studied extensively by several groups 9f-h. The mechanism for the reaction is more complex than for the Rh reaction. The reaction involves a neutral and an anionic catalytic cycle. The extent of participation by each cycle depends on the reaction conditions. The anionic carbonylation pathway predominates in the Cativa process. The active Ir catalyst species is the iridium carbonyl iodide complex, [Ir(CO)2l2]. The carbonylation reaction proceeds through a series of reaction steps similar to the Rh catalyst process shown in Figure 1 however, the kinetics involve a different rate determining step. 

The resting state of the iridium catalyst is the anionic methyl complex, [Ir(CO)2l3Me], which is rapidly formed by oxidative addition of Mel to [I CO U]-- The complex is isolated as its cisfac isomer, and an X-ray crystal structure has been determined [144], Stoichiometric carbonylation of this species (Equation (13)) is regarded as the rate-determining step of the catalytic carbonylation cycle. 

Evidences for the rhodium- and iridium-catalyzed carbonylation cycles also come from isolated and model complexes. From the reaction of CHjI with 4.5, under noncatalytic conditions, a solid has been isolated. 

Cases of the S-coordinated rhodium and iridium are quite scarce. To complete the picture, we next consider the possibilities of S-coordination using complicated derivatives of thiophene. 2,5-[Bis(2-diphenylphosphino)ethyl]thiophene is known to contain three potential donor sites, two phosphorus atoms and the sulfur heteroatom, the latter being a rather nucleophilic center (93IC5652). A more typical situation is coordination via the phosphorus sites. It is also observed in the product of the reaction of 2,5-bis[3-(diphenylphosphino)propyl]thiophene (L) with the species obtained after treatment of [(cod)Rh(acac)] with perchloric acid (95IC365). Carbonylation of [Rh(cod)L][C104]) thus prepared yields 237. Decarbonylation of 237 gives a mixture of 238 and the S-coordinated species 239. Complete decarbonylation gives 240, where the heterocycle is -coordinated. The cycle of carbonylation decarbonylation is reversible. 

Scheme 2. Catalytic cycles for the iridium-catalyzed carbonylation of methanol.

The rate of the methanol carbonylation reaction in the presence of iridium catalysts is very similar to that observed in the presence of rhodium catalysts under comparable conditions (29). This is perhaps initially surprising in view of the well-recognized greater nucleophilicity of iridium(I) complexes as compared to their rhodium(I) analogues. It can be seen from the above studies that the difference in the chemistry of the metals at the trivalent stage of the catalytic cycle serves to produce faster rates of alkyl migration with the rhodium system thus, overall the two metal catalysts give comparable rates. 

Scheme 12 Catalytic cycles for iridium-catalysed methanol carbonylation...

The commercialisation of an iridium-based process is the most significant new development in methanol carbonylation catalysis in recent years. Originally discovered by Monsanto, iridium catalysts were considered uncompetitive relative to rhodium on the basis of lower activity, as often found for third row transition metals. The key breakthrough for achieving high catalytic rates for an iridium catalyst was the identification of effective promoters. Recent mechanistic studies have provided detailed insight into how the promoters influence the subtle balance between neutral and anionic iridium complexes in the catalytic cycle, thereby enhancing catalytic turnover. 

Figure 8.3 (a) Catalytic cycle for the iridium-catalyzed methanol carbonylation (b) catalytic cycle for the iridium-catalyzed water gas shift (WGS) reaction. Both as originally proposed by D. Forster (adapted from Ref [25]). 

Recent mechanistic studies using HP infrared equipment, as well as HP-NMR measurements involving the use of CO and CH3I, have allowed the iridium intermediates which are present in solution as methyl acetate and water, and are consumed to produce acetic acid [.12, 34, 41-43], to be followed. All of these observations can be rationalized by a single catalytic cycle (see Figure 8.5), in which equilibria exist between the neutral and anionic complexes for all species. The main species involved in the carbonylation, which are detected in batch mode under carbonylation conditions [34], and correspond to the slower steps of catalysis, are the methyl—iridium and acetyl-iridium complexes [Ir(CH3)l3(CO)2] and [Ir(COCH3)l3(CO)2] respectively. 

As expected, cyclohexanone hydrogenation performed in an IL has a longer reaction time than in solventless conditions. Where using iridium nanoparticles dispersed in an IL, the biphasic hydrogenation of cyclohexanone could be performed at least 15 times, without any considerable loss in catalytic activity this contrasted with the use of nanoparticles in solventless conditions, when the catalytic activity begins to decHne after the third cycle. The standard experimental conditions established for the hydrogenation of other carbonyl compounds were 75 °C, 4atm of H2 and a molar substrate Ir ratio of 250. 

Forster also reported HP IR measurements on iridium catalysed reactions [59]. It was noted that the iridium speciation is dependent on reaction conditions, with three different regimes being distinguishable. At intermediate [H2O], the dominant Ir species are [MeIr(CO)2l3] and [Ir(CO)2l4] . The anionic methyl complex is regarded as the active form of the catalyst in a cycle analogous to the Rh system, with carbonylation of [MeIr(CO)2l3] being rate determining. The Ir(III) tetraiodide... 

Scheme 3.1 Anionic and neutral cycles proposed by Forster for iridium catalysed methanol carbonylation and WGS reaction (adapted from Ref [59] by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry).

The kinetics of hydrogenolysis of a metal-alkyl have been monitored by HP IR spectroscopy for [MeIr(CO)2l3] , the resting state in the cycle for iridium catalysed methanol carbonylation [113]. On treatment with H2 at elevated temperatures, the v(CO) bands of [MeIr(CO)2l3] decayed and were replaced by new r(CO) bands at slightly higher frequency and a v(Ir-H) absorption, corresponding to Eq. (10). 

Figure 8.5 Catalytic cycle for the metal-catalyzed carbonylation of methanol, with the reductive elimination step highlighted. In the case of iridium, the diiodotricarbonyl species has also been suggested as a possible precursor to reductive elimination. What aie the issues of stereochemistry associated with the intermediates What special basis-set requirements will be involved in modeling this system ...

The catalytic cycle involves the same fundamental reaction steps as the rhodium system oxidative addition of Mel to Ir(I), followed by migratory CO insertion to form an Ir(III) acetyl complex, from which acetic acid is derived. However, there are significant differences in reactivity between analogous rhodium and iridium complexes which are important for the overall catalytic activity. In situ spectroscopy indicates that the dominant active iridium species present under catalytic conditions is the anionic Ir(III) methyl complex, [IrMe(CO)2l3] , by contrast to the rhodium system where the dominant complex is [Rh(CO)2l2] - PrMe(CO)2l3] and an inactive form of the catalyst, [Ir(CO)2l4] represent the resting states of the iridium catalyst in the anionic cycles for carbonylation and the WGSR respectively. At lower concentrations of water and iodide, [Ir(CO)3l] and [Ir(CO)3l3] are present due to the operation of related neutral cycles . 

Unlike the hydrogenation catalysts, most iridium catalysts studied for hydroformylation chemistry are not particularly active and are usually much less active than their rhodium counterparts see Carbonylation Processes by Homogeneous Catalysis). However, this lower activity was useful in utihzing iridium complexes to study separate steps in the hydroformylation mechanism. Using iridium complexes, several steps important in the hydroformylation cycle such as alkyl migration to carbon monoxide were studied. Another carbonylation reaction in which iridum catalysis appears to be conunercially viable is in the carbonylation of methanol. ... 

SCHEME 13 Catalytic cycles for iridium-complex-catalyzed methanol carbonylation and WGS reaction. Adapted with permission from reference [115], copyright 1979, Royal Society of Chemistry. 

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