Metals, activated halides

We have explored rare earth oxide-modified amorphous silica-aluminas as "permanent" intermediate strength acids used as supports for bifunctional catalysts. The addition of well dispersed weakly basic rare earth oxides "titrates" the stronger acid sites of amorphous silica-alumina and lowers the acid strength to the level shown by halided aluminas. Physical and chemical probes, as well as model olefin and paraffin isomerization reactions show that acid strength can be adjusted close to that of chlorided and fluorided aluminas. Metal activity is inhibited relative to halided alumina catalysts, which limits the direct metal-catalyzed dehydrocyclization reactions during paraffin reforming but does not interfere with hydroisomerization reactions. 

As an additional probe of metal activity, we monitored benzene hydrogenation activity. As seen in Figure 9, Pt-containing rare earth catalysts have lower hydrogenation activity than chlorided alumina catalysts this result reflects inhibition of metal activity on these supports relative to conventional transitional alumina supports. Whereas the acid strength can be adjusted close to that of chlorided and flourided aluminas, metal activity is somewhat inhibited on these catalysts relative to halided aluminas. This inhibition is not due to dispersion, and perhaps indicates a SMSI interaction between Pt and the dispersed Nd203 phase. 

Rh > Ir > Ni > Pd > Co > Ru > Fe A plot of the relation between the catalytic activity and the affinity of the metals for halide ion resulted in a volcano shape. The rate determining step of the reaction was discussed on the basis of this affinity and the reaction order with respect to methyl iodide. Methanol was first carbonylated to methyl acetate directly or via dimethyl ether, then carbonylated again to acetic anhydride and finally quickly hydrolyzed to acetic acid. Overall kinetics were explored to simulate variable product profiles based on the reaction network mentioned above. Carbon monoxide was adsorbed weakly and associatively on nickel-activated-carbon catalysts. Carbon monoxide was adsorbed on nickel-y-alumina or nickel-silica gel catalysts more strongly and, in part, dissociatively,... 

High molecular weight polymers have been recently prepared by condensation of alkali metal salts of biphenols with activated halides such as 4.4 -dichlorodiphenyl sulfone 50). The polymer (II) prepared from 4.4 -isopropylidenediphenol and 4.4 -dichlorodiphenylsulfone is now commercially available. 

Titanium and zirconium tetrabenzyl and the mixed metal—benzyl halides are soluble in hydrocarbon solvents and will polymerize ethylene and a-olefins, the latter to stereo-specific polymers [64], The structures of the true initiators are not known but they are unlikely to be the simple organo-metal compounds. Catalysts of higher activity are obtained when they are used in combination with aluminium alkyls. It is of interest to note that titanium tetra(dimethyl amide) reacts with acrylonitrile to form an active species, which then forms high molecular weight polymer by coordination polymerization [65]. 

The polymerization rate will then depend on the relative proportions and activities of Cf, C, etc. (which will be determined by A/T and Kj, Kf, etc., and the propagation coefficients.) Thus, it has been found with (7r-CsH5)2TiEtCl/AlEtCl2 that the rate of ethylene polymerization accelerates with time as active species are formed and with increase in Al/Ti ratios the rate rises to a steady value at constant Ti concentration and [C ] [Ti]o, and passes through a maximum at constant metal alkyl halide concentration. 

There are fewer reactions with saturated halides than with unsaturated halides. Generally, the ketones and halides range from Cj-C alkyl and the expected alcohols are produced in 50-70% yields [21,35,36]. The same solvents and metal activation procedures used with the unsaturated halides are also applied in these reactions. 

The SjvAr reaction is another attractive method for diaryl ether synthesis, and reactions of o-nitro- and o-cyanofluorobenzenes with phenols were reported . 7r-Complexation of aryl halides with transition metals activates the aromatic nuclei toward S fAr. Segal employed a ruthenium chlorobenzene complex in the poly(aryl ether) synthesis , and the methodology was extensively studied by Pearson, Rich and their coworkers using manganese complex and later iron and ruthenium complexes in natural product synthesis " . The intramolecular substitution of an aromatic chloride with a phenylalanine derivative takes place at room temperature without racemization (equation 27). 

The best results are obtained with the use of alkali metal hydrides (NaH, KH) in THF, DME, or DMF. The reaction works well in THF or DME with activated halides such as ethyl bromoac-etate, ten-butyl bromoacetate, - ethyl 2-bromobutyratc, ethyl T-broniobulyrale.- (iodom-ethyl)trimethylstannane, " (iodomethyl)trimethylsilane, benzoyl bromide,- benzyl bro-mide, - farnesyl bromide,- " alkyl 4-bromocrotonates, l-(bromomethyl)naphtalene,- andN-bromomethylphthalimide but gives poor results with primary alkyl halides.- Primary and secondary alkyl halides, bromides and iodides (Scheme 8.16), react satisfactorily in dMF or DMSO, although bulky electrophiles give poor results. In DMSO the expected product is frequently contaminated by the dialkylation product. ... 

Before the 1970s, Ziegler-Natta catalysts for a-olefin production were normally prepared from certain compounds of transition metals of Groups IV-VI of the periodic table (Ti, V, Cr, etc.) in combination with an organoraetallic alkyl or aryl (Table I). Practically all subhalides of transition metals have been claimed as catalysts in stereoregular polymerization. Only those elements with a first work function <4 eV and a first ionization potential <7 V yield sufficiently active halides, that is, titanium, vanadium, chromium, and zirconium (7, Only titanium chlorides have gained widespread acceptance in crystalline polyolefin production. 

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