Nickel olefin complexes 212 Subject

The addition of HCN to olefins catalyzed by complexes of transition metals has been studied since about 1950. The first hydrocyanation by a homogeneous catalyst was reported by Arthur with cobalt carbonyl as catalyst. These reactions gave the branched nitrile as the predominant product. Nickel complexes of phosphites are more active catalysts for hydrocyanation, and these catalysts give the anti-Markovnikov product with terminal alkenes. The first nickel-catalyzed hydrocyanations were disclosed by Drinkard and by Brown and Rick. The development of this nickel-catalyzed chemistry into the commercially important addition to butadiene (Equation 16.3) was conducted at DuPont. Taylor and Swift referred to hydrocyanation of butadiene, and Drinkard exploited this chemistry for the synthesis of adiponitrile. The mechanism of ftiis process was pursued in depth by Tolman. As a result of this work, butadiene hydrocyanation was commercialized in 1971. The development of hydrocyanation is one of tfie early success stories in homogeneous catalysis. Significant improvements in catalysts have been made since that time, and many reviews have now been written on this subject. ... 

Allyl complexes have contributed significantly to the development of the organometallic chemistry of nickel and the applications of nickel complexes in organic synthesis, for example, nucleophilic attack on coordinated allyl ligands. In addition, allylnickel complexes have been identified as key intermediates in the oligomerization and cyclization of olefins and dienes. For example, the Ni(0)-catalyzed hydrocyanation of butadiene to adiponitrile, the main component of a major commercial process for the production of nylon, involves Ni (7r-allyl) intermediates. Moreover, the 77-rearrangements of allylnickel species have helped explain the facile isomerization of olefins in the presence of nickel complexes. The Ni-catalyzed homoallylation of carbonyl compounds with 1,3-dienes also involves Ni(7r-allyl) complexes this subject has been reviewed recently. New applications include the cleavage of G-G bonds in the deallylation of malonates, the preparation of cyclopentenones by carbonylative cycloaddi-... 

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