Olefins catalyzed hydrogenation

The observation that addition of imidazoles and carboxylic acids significantly improved the epoxidation reaction resulted in the development of Mn-porphyrin complexes containing these groups covalently linked to the porphyrin platform as attached pendant arms (11) [63]. When these catalysts were employed in the epoxidation of simple olefins with hydrogen peroxide, enhanced oxidation rates were obtained in combination with perfect product selectivity (Table 6.6, Entry 3). In contrast with epoxidations catalyzed by other metals, the Mn-porphyrin system yields products with scrambled stereochemistry the epoxidation of cis-stilbene with Mn(TPP)Cl (TPP = tetraphenylporphyrin) and iodosylbenzene, for example, generated cis- and trans-stilbene oxide in a ratio of 35 65. The low stereospecificity was improved by use of heterocyclic additives such as pyridines or imidazoles. The epoxidation system, with hydrogen peroxide as terminal oxidant, was reported to be stereospecific for ris-olefins, whereas trans-olefins are poor substrates with these catalysts. 

Micellar catalysis to enhance or diminish the rate of chemical reactions is well known [97]. Of somewhat greater interest is the influence of micelles on competing reactions, e.g., proton-catalyzed reactions. An example related to the effect of alkanesulfonates is the epoxidation of simple aliphatic olefins. The reaction of olefins and hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by strongly acidic Mo(VI)... 

Scheme 3 Plausible pathway for hydrogenation of olefin catalyzed by the Fe-H complex...

Catalysis and Synthesis in the Laboratory. Research on the practical applications of catalysis was not matched in the laboratory. We began a study of metal and non-metal catalyzed reactions early in our sonochemistry program. Our first project was to develop a convenient method of hydrogenating a wide range of olefins. We chose formic acid as our hydrogen source and found it to be effective. For example, with continuous irradiation, palladium catalyzed hydrogenations of olefins are complete in one hour(44). 

The initially expected (75) cis-hydrometallation or olefin-insertion step with fumarate (R = C02Me) yields the threo isomer 8, which then undergoes the k2 step with retention to give racemic 1,2-dideuterosuccinate. Such retention is necessary to give the usually observed (7, p. 407) overall cis addition of H2 to olefinic bonds, but this study provided the first direct experimental proof, the difficulty being the scarcity of stable metal alkyl-hydride intermediates. The Cp2MoH2 complex also catalyzes hydrogenation of 1,3- or 1,4-dienes to monoenes (197). 

The cluster catalyzes hydrogenation (20°C and 3 atm) of dialkyl- and diarylacetylenes to the c/s-olefins via unsaturate routes, likely involving Ni4(CNR)6(RC=CR) and Ni4(CNR)4(RC==CR)3 (391, 392). The acetylenes in the latter complex bridge three nickel centers, and increase of the acetylenic carbon-carbon bond distance is considered to enhance reduction by hydrogen (392, 393). 

The C0/H20 systems have been used to catalyze hydrogenation of olefins in Reppe hydroformylation 437), and a Rh6(CO)16-catalyzed system has been used to reduce the olefinic bond in a,/3-unsaturated carbonyls and nitriles 337, 338, Section IV,A). 

Table 9.9 Hydrogenation of olefins catalyzed by Phen-protected Pd nanoparticles in [BMIM][PF6].a)...

Secondary phosphine oxides are known to be excellent ligands in palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions and platinum-catalyzed nitrile hydrolysis. A series of chiral enantiopure secondary phosphine oxides 49 and 50 has been prepared and studied in the iridium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of imines [48] and in the rhodium- and iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation functionalized olefins [86]. Especially in benzyl substituted imine-hydrogenation, 49a ranks among the best ligands available in terms of ex. 

Table 36.3 Use of mixtures of monodentate phosphonites and or phosphites in the rhodium-catalyzed hydrogenation of substituted olefins.3 ...

Thus far, we have discussed the transition metal complex-catalyzed hydrogenation of C=C, C=0, and C N bonds. In this section, another type of transition metal complex-mediated reaction, namely, the hydroformylation of olefins, is presented. 

Optically active aldehydes are important precursors for biologically active compounds, and much effort has been applied to their asymmetric synthesis. Asymmetric hydroformylation has attracted much attention as a potential route to enantiomerically pure aldehyde because this method starts from inexpensive olefins and synthesis gas (CO/H2). Although rhodium-catalyzed hydrogenation has been one of the most important applications of homogeneous catalysis in industry, rhodium-mediated hydroformylation has also been extensively studied as a route to aldehydes. 

In 1971, Kagan published his ground-breaking research in the field.141 He demonstrated that high enantioselectivities could be obtained in the Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of functionalized olefins, such as the dehydroamino acid derivatives 3 and 4, using a novel diphosphine ligand which he called DIOP 2 (Scheme 2). 

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