Metal carbonyls, selective

The hydroformylation reaction is carried out in the Hquid phase using a metal carbonyl catalyst such as HCo(CO)4 (36), HCo(CO)2[P( -C4H2)] (37), or HRh(CO)2[P(CgH3)2]2 (38,39). The phosphine-substituted rhodium compound is the catalyst of choice for new commercial plants that can operate at 353—383 K and 0.7—2 MPa (7—20 atm) (39). The differences among the catalysts are found in their intrinsic activity, their selectivity to straight-chain product, their abiHty to isomerize the olefin feedstock and hydrogenate the product aldehyde to alcohol, and the ease with which they are separated from the reaction medium (36). 

The thermodynamic properties of simple metal carbonyls have been compiled (76—82). Some selected properties are Hsted in Table 3. 

The induction of steric effects by the pore walls was first demonstrated with heterogeneous catalysts, prepared from metal carbonyl clusters such as Rh6(CO)16, Ru3(CO)12, or Ir4(CO)12, which were synthesized in situ after a cation exchange process under CO in the large pores of zeolites such as HY, NaY, or 13X.25,26 The zeolite-entrapped carbonyl clusters are stable towards oxidation-reduction cycles this is in sharp contrast to the behavior of the same clusters supported on non-porous inorganic oxides. At high temperatures these metal carbonyl clusters aggregate to small metal particles, whose size is restricted by the dimensions of the zeolitic framework. Moreover, for a number of reactions, the size of the pores controls the size of the products formed thus a higher selectivity to the lower hydrocarbons has been reported for the Fischer Tropsch reaction. 

Selective Photochemistry. It is well known that for many substituted metal carbonyl compounds in solution, photochemical loss of either CO or the substituent L can be promoted depending... 

In these mixtures the catena-tvistibines are by far the most abundant chain species and even under favorable conditions [excess of cyc/6>-(RSb) ] the caten -tetrastibines form only as minor components. Nevertheless, recently the selective extraction and stabilization of these tetrastibines in the coordination sphere of a transition metal carbonyl complex was achieved by reacting mixtures of distibines and cyclostibines with... 

The most recent fairly comprehensive review Of the vibrational spectra of transition metal carbonyls is contained in the book by Braterman1. This provides a literature coverage up to the end of 1971 and so the subject of the present article is the literature from 1972 through to the end of 1975. Inevitably, some considerable selectivity has been necessary. For instance, a considerable number of largely preparative papers are not included in the present article. Tables A-E provide a general view of the work reported in the period. Table A covers spectral reports and papers for which topics related purely to vibrational analysis are not the main objective. Papers with the latter more in view are covered in Table C. Evidently, the division between the two is somewhat arbitrary. Other tables are devoted to papers primarily concerned with the spectra of crystalline samples — Table B — to reports of infrared and Raman band intensities — Table D and sundry experimental techniques or observations - Table E. Papers on matrix isolated species, which are covered elsewhere in this volume, are excluded. 

The literature cited in this article covers references listed in chemical abstracts to the end of 1961 and in current chemical papers after that. A degree of selection has been exercised in omitting some references that are now of limited value. Although metal nitrosyls are included in the scope of this chapter, no kinetic data on their decomposition is available and they will not be considered further. The data on metal carbonyls is limited and will be dealt with in the first section. The decomposition of metal alkyls and aryls has been extensively investigated. These compounds will be discussed in groups based on the position of the central metal atom in the periodic table and, when warranted, a further subdivision will be made based on the attached organic radicals. 

Reactions carried out on the surface of inorganic oxides allow convenient high-yield and selective syntheses of various metal carbonyl complexes and clusters, starting from easily available materials (Tables 16.1-16.3). The synthetic procedures are straightforward and the recovery of products is easy. Since the use of a solid as reaction medium is not Umited in the manner in solution by boiling points and by the thermal instabiUty of some solvents, it is possible to work at atmospheric pressure even at rather high temperatures. Therefore, in many cases, yields and pressure are better and lower, respectively, than those of the traditional syntheses in solution (Tables 16.4—16.6). 

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