Koch-Haaf carbonylation reaction

Koch carbonylation reaction (Koch-Haaf carbonylation reaction)... 

The acid-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of an alkene is known as the Koch Reaction. When the source of both the CO and the H20 is formic acid, the process is called the Koch-Haaf Carbonylation. 

Olefins are carbonylated in concentrated sulfuric acid at moderate temperatures (0—40°C) and low pressures with formic acid, which serves as the source of carbon monoxide (Koch-Haaf reaction) (187). Liquid hydrogen fluoride, preferably in the presence of boron trifluoride, is an equally good catalyst and solvent system (see Carboxylic acids). 

In the Koch-Haaf reaction, a superacid/CO mixture leads to carbonylation of the alkane. A variety of products were obtained, e.g. BuKTOaH, IVCHCOMe and Pr CHaCOBu, from isobutane using this product. Usually the method is only useful for alkanes containing a tertiary C—H bond, but Sommer has introduced a modification that sdlows secondary C—H bonds to be functionalized, although only with 4% conversion (equation 3S). ... 

The acid-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of alkenes (the Koch reaction) can be performed in a number of ways. In one method, the alkene is treated with carbon monoxide and water at 100-350°C and 500-1000-atm pressure with a mineral acid catalyst. However, the reaction can also be performed under milder conditions. If the alkene is first treated with CO and catalyst and then water added, the reaction can be accomplished at 0-50°C and 1-100 atm. If formic acid is used as the source of both the CO and the water, the reaction can be carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.The formic acid procedure is called the Koch-Haaf reaction (the Koch-Haaf reaction can also be applied to alcohols, see 10-77). Nearly all alkenes can be hydrocarboxylated by one or more of these procedures. However, conjugated dienes are polymerized instead. Hydrocarboxylation can also be accomplished under mild conditions (160°C and 50 atm) by the use of nickel carbonyl as catalyst. Acid catalysts are used along with the nickel carbonyl, but basic catalysts can also be employed. Other metallic salts and complexes can be used, sometimes with variations in the reaction procedure, including palladium, platinum, and rhodium catalysts. The Ni(CO)4-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation with CO and water as a nucleophile is often called Reppe carbonylationP The toxic nature of nickel... 

An interesting but rather unusual reaction involves the direct carbonylation of carbocations to carboxylic acid derivatives. Carbenium ions can be generated from alkenes or alkanes in strong acidic media. Thus, tertiary carboxylic acids can be produced from C4 or higher alkenes Koch-Haaf reaction) [39] (e.g., eq. (8)). Interestingly, Koch carbonylations are known to be catalyzed by copper or silver cations [40]. 

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