Olefin Hydrocarboxylation

Recent developments in hydroformylation and the mechanisms of Co-, Rh-, and Ir-catalyzed olefin hydrocarboxylations have been reviewed. The proceedings of a symposium on Catalytic Activation of Carbon Monoxide should also prove useful to those readers who wish to familiarize themselves with current areas of interest. ... 

The hydrocarboxylation of an olefin, catalyzed by strong mineralic acids (Koch-Haaf reaction), leads to branched carboxylic acids [57] ... 

Having greater resemblance to natural fatty acids are the products of the coordination-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of olefins with water and carbon monoxide (Reppe reaction) [58] ... 

If cobalt carbonylpyridine catalyst systems are used, the formation of unbranched carboxylic acids is strongly favored not only by reaction of a-olefins but also by reaction of olefins with internal double bonds ( contrathermo-dynamic double-bond isomerization) [59]. The cobalt carbonylpyridine catalyst of the hydrocarboxylation reaction resembles the cobalt carbonyl-terf-phos-phine catalysts of the hydroformylation reaction. The reactivity of the cobalt-pyridine system in the hydrocarboxylation reaction is remarkable higher than the cobalt-phosphine system in the hydroformylation reaction, especially in the case of olefins with internal double bonds. This reaction had not found an industrial application until now. 

Monflier et al. (1997) have suggested Pd catalysed hydrocarboxylation of higher alpha olefins in which chemically modified P-cyclodextrin (especially dimethyl P-cyclodextrin) is u.sed in water in preference to a co-solvent like methanol, acetone, acetic acid, acetonitrile, etc. Here, quantitative recycling of the aqueous phase is possible due to easy phase separation without emulsions. A similar strategy has been adopted by Monflier et al. (1998) for biphasic hydrogenations for water-in.soluble aldehydes like undecenal using a water-soluble Ru/triphenylphosphine trisulphonate complex with a. suitably modified p-cyclodextrin. 

Historically, the rhodium catalyzed carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid required large quantities of methyl iodide co-catalyst (1) and the related hydrocarboxylation of olefins required the presence of an alkyl iodide or hydrogen iodide (2). Unfortunately, the alkyl halides pose several significant difficulties since they are highly toxic, lead to iodine contamination of the final product, are highly corrosive, and are expensive to purchase and handle. Attempts to eliminate alkyl halides or their precursors have proven futile to date (1). 

Until there is a sufficient excess of ethene over [PdH(TPPTS)3] their fast reaction ensures that aU palladium is found in form of tratts-[Pd C(CO)Et (TPPTS)2]. However, at low olefin concentrations (e.g. in biphasic systems with less water-soluble olefins) [PdH(TPPTS)3] can accumulate and through its equihbrium with [Pd(TPPTS)3] (eq. 5.5) can be reduced to metallic palladium. This is why the hydroxycarbonylation of olefins proceeds optimally in the presence of Brpnsted acid cocatalyts with a weekly coordinating anion. Under optimised conditions hydrocarboxylation of propene was catalyzed by PdC + TPPTS with a TOE = 2507 h and l = 57/43 (120 °C, 50 bar CO, [P]/[Pd] = 4, P-CH3C6H4SO3H) [38], In neutral or basic solutions, or in the presence of strongly coordinatmg anions the initial hydride complex cannot be formed, furthermore, the fourth coordination site in the alkyl- and acylpaUadium intermediates may be strongly occupied, therefore no catalysis takes place. 

Higher olefins have negligible solubility in water therefore their hydrocarboxylation in aqueous/organic biphasic systems needs co-solvents or phase transfer agents. With the aid of various PT catalysts 1-octene and 1-dodecene were successfully carbonylated to the corresponding carboxylic acids with good yields (< 85 %) and up to 87 % selectivity towards the formation of the linear add with a [Co2(CO)g] catalyst precursor under forcing conditions (150 °C, 200 bar CO) [57],... 

Carboxylic acids and their derivatives like esters, amides, anhydrides, and acyl halides are formally synthesized from olefins, carbon monoxide, and compounds represented by Nu-H such as H2O, ROH, RNH2, RCOOH (Equations (4) and (5)). Alkynes also react under similar conditions to afford the corresponding unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives. These reactions have been named hydrocarboxylation, hydroalkoxycarbonylation, and hydroaminocarbonylation. 

Metal-catalysed hydrocarboxylation of olefins (Equation 3) is the poor relative of the more famous hydroformylation. It generally requires forcing reaction conditions and suffers from mediocre activities and selectivities (n/i ratio). Moreover, the same products can be made via hydroformylation and oxidation of the aldehyde product.431 Consequently, there are few industrial applications of hydrocarboxylation e.g. Ni(CO)4-catalysed production of propionic acid by hydrocarboxylation of ethylene.432,433... 

Figure 8 Proposed catalytic cycle in the Pdf tppts)j-catalysed hydrocarboxylation of olefins.

The acid-catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of olefins (the Koch reaction) can be performed in a number of ways.565 In one method, the olefin is treated with carbon monoxide and water at 100 to 350°C and 500 to 1000 atm pressure with a mineral-acid catalyst. However, the reaction can also be performed under milder conditions. If the olefin is first treated with CO and catalyst and then water added, the reaction can be accomplished at 0 to 50°C and 1 to 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.566 The formic acid procedure is called the Koch-Haaf reaction (the Koch-Haaf reaction can also be applied to alcohols, see 0-103). Nearly all olefins can be hydrocarboxylated by one or more of these procedures. However, conjugated dienes are polymerized instead. 

Cyclization of olefinic acids 5-23 Hydrocarboxylation of unsaturated alcohols... 

The papers in this volume concern results observed in catalytic systems. They span a broad range of catalytic reactions including hydro-formylation, hydrocarboxylation, hydrogenation, carbonylation, cyana-tion, and olefin oxidation. To some extent, the results provide a significant extension of our understanding of previously studied catalysts and catalytic reactions. However, some of the papers are concerned with newer areas of research and feature results of both scientific and potential industrial importance. 

TABLE 7.4. Hydrocarboxylation of Olefins Catalyzed by Chiral Pd(II) Complexes... 

Finally, it should be apparent that the nature of the reaction media has a profound effect on the reactivity of this system, and that, particularly for secondary alcohols, generation of olefins (and metal hydrides) occurs quite easily. Since this involves only the organic equilibria, this situation is not unique to rhodium chemistry. Unless great care has been taken to eliminate possible contributions of the hydrido/olefin pathway to the total reaction scheme, then, the hydrocarboxylation route should probably be considered to be a contributing reaction with other catalytic systems. 

The salt production can be circumvented by performing the selective Pd/ tppts-catalysed carbonylation of benzyl alcohol in an acidic aqueous biphasic system (Fig. 1.36) [106]. This methodology was also applied to the synthesis of ibuprofen (see earlier) by biphasic carbonylation of l-(4-isobutylphenyl)ethanol [107] and to the biphasic hydrocarboxylation of olefins [108]. 

The Ni-catalyzed electrocarboxylation of differently activated olefins has been reported to afford selective CO2 incorporation via hydrocarboxylation [11]. However, no CO2 incorporation occurred with non-activated alkenes such as 1- or 4-octene. Carboxylation of olefins 3 and 4 should give some indication on the influence of the Rp substituent on the double bond. 

Higher olefins inherently show distinct chemical and physical differences from ethylene, which result in a number of obstacles when producing carboxylic acids from them. Additionally, the hydrocarboxylation of higher alkenes gives mixtures of the saturated acids (eq. (19)) ... 

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