Iridium chloride allylic oxidation

An attractive pathway with a lot of potential uses the transition metal mediated reaction of organic halides with carbon monoxide. Suitable substrates are organic halides capable of oxidative addition to low-valent transition metal compounds. Insertion of carbon monoxide and reductive elimination of an acid halide will complete the catalytic cycle. In tins way it was shown tiiat allyl chloride yields butenoic acid chloride in >80% yield accor g to equation 22)P As well as palladium, rhodium and iridium also act catalytically. It is of no surprise that allylic halides, benzylic halides and aryl halides in particular are readily converted to acid halides. Simple aliphatic halid undergo the oxidative addition step more slowly and, if they cany hydrogen atoms on an sf hybridized C atom in the -position to the halogen atom, may give alkenes via 3-hydrogen elimination. Alkenes can also be converted to acid halides widi carbon monoxide in the presence of transition metal catalysts in solvents such as methylene chloride or tetrachloromethane. ... 

---