Isomerism of alkanes

Apart from Bronsted acid activation, the acetyl cation (and other acyl ions) can also be activated by Lewis acids. Although the 1 1 CH3COX-AIX3 Friedel-Crafts complex is inactive for the isomerization of alkanes, a system with two (or more) equivalents of AIX3 was fonnd by Volpin to be extremely reactive, also bringing abont other electrophilic reactions. 

Catalysts from Physical Mixtures. Two separate catalysts with different functions may be pulverized to fine powders and mixed to form a catalyst system that accomplishes a reaction sequence that neither of the two iadividual catalysts alone can achieve. For such catalyst systems, the reaction products of catalyst A become the feedstocks for catalyst B and vice versa. An example is the three-step isomerization of alkanes by a mixture of... 

Polymerization of alkenes and the isomerization of alkanes and alkenes occur in the presence of a cocatalyst such as H2O, whereas the cracking of hydrocarbons is best performed with HF as cocatalyst. These latter reactions are of major commercial importance in the petrochemicals industry. 

The carbeniiun ion so formed then reacts in the ICC 1 manner except perhaps for not abstracting a hydride ion from another alkane. Although initial views that zeolites in general were super acids have come into question, definite super acids have been found such as calcined H2S04 Zr(0H)4 which catalyze the isomerization of alkanes at low T. 

Selective Isomerization of Alkanes on Supported Tungsten Oxide Acids... 

The three cycles have to turn over in the same range of temperature. This catalytic approach of the DeNOx reaction is not new. There is the same process for isomerization of alkanes, where there are also 3 catalytic cycles which have to turn over simultaneously (bifunctional catalysis). The kinetics of isomerization is given by only one cycle, the other two turning over very rapidly and are near equilibrium [13]. 

The (=Si03)3TiH surface complex was active in the skeletal isomerization of alkanes at temperatures as low as 50°C and this remarkable activity is very promising because this catalyst has the possibility to isomerize light hydrocarbons under very mild conditions.261... 

The rearrangement of platinacyclobutanes to alkene complexes or ylide complexes is shown to involve an initial 1,3-hydride shift (a-elimina-tion), which may be preceded by skeletal isomerization. This isomerization can be used as a model for the bond shift mechanism of isomerization of alkanes by platinum metal, while the a-elimination also suggests a possible new mechanism for alkene polymerisation. New platinacyclobutanes with -CH2 0SC>2Me substituents undergo solvolysis with ring expansion to platinacyclopentane derivatives, the first examples of metallacyclobutane to metallacyclopentane ring expansion. The mechanism, which may also involve preliminary skeletal isomerization, has been elucidated by use of isotopic labelling and kinetic studies. 

Metallacyclobutanes have been proposed as intermediates in a number of catalytic reactions, and model studies with isolated transition metallacyclobutanes have played a large part in demonstrating the plausibility of the proposed mechanisms. Since the mechanisms of heterogeneously catalysed reactions are especially difficult to determine by direct study, model studies are particularly valuable. This article describes results which may be relevant to the mechanisms of isomerization of alkanes over metallic platinum by the bond shift process and of the oligomerization or polymerization of alkenes. 

The activation of alkanes on transition metal surfaces is an important step in many catalytic reactions. Hydrogenolysis, steam reforming and isomerization of alkanes all involve alkane dissodation. Thus, much interest exists in the mechanistic and kinetic aspects of alkane dissociation. 

The platforming catalyst was the first example of a reforming catalyst having two functions.43 44 93 100-103 The functions of this bifunctional catalyst consist of platinum-catalyzed reactions (dehydrogenation of cycloalkanes to aromatics, hydrogenation of olefins, and dehydrocyclization) and acid-catalyzed reactions (isomerization of alkanes and cycloalkanes). Hyrocracking is usually an undesirable reaction since it produces gaseous products. However, it may contribute to octane enhancement. n-Decane, for example, can hydrocrack to C3 and C7 hydrocarbons the latter is further transformed to aromatics. 

Mechanism. The proven acidity of the effective alkane isomerization catalysts suggests that carbocations are involved in acid-catalyzed alkane isomerization. Such a mechanism was first proposed by Schmerling and coworkers54 on the basis of the pioneering ideas of Whitmore55 for the skeletal isomerization of alkanes and cycloalkanes in the presence of aluminum chloride and a trace of olefin or other promoter. Subsequently these concepts were used to explain the mechanism of the acid-catalyzed isomerizations in general. 

Positional Isomerization. A different type of isomerization, substituent migration, takes place when di- and polyalkylbenzenes (naphthalenes, etc.) are treated with acidic catalysts. Similar to the isomerization of alkanes, thermodynamic equilibria of neutral arylalkanes and the corresponding carbocations are different. This difference permits the synthesis of isomers in amounts exceeding thermodynamic equilibrium when appropriate reaction conditions (excess acid, fast hydride transfer) are applied. Most of these studies were carried out in connection with the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons, and further details are found in Section 5.1.4. 

Hydrogenative ring opening of cycloalkanes is also a well-studied area.16 252 253 289-292 Mainly cyclopropanes and cyclopentanes were studied, since three- and five-membered adsorbed carbocyclic species are believed to be intermediates in metal-catalyzed isomerization of alkanes (see Section 4.3.1). Ring-opening reactivity of different ring systems decreases in the order cyclopropane > cyclobutane > cyclopentane > cyclohexane.251 Cyclopropane and its substituted derivatives usually react below 100°C. 

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