Phosphine ligands catalyst immobilization, polymer supports

Both polymer-supported (immobilized) catalysts [19] and two-phase reactions (water-soluble phosphine co-ligands) were described for aryl iodides only [20]. However, aryl iodides are not attractive starting materials for large-scale industrial applications. 

Metal-phosphine complexes can be immobilized on phos-phinated polymers through simple ligand exchange reactions. Wilkinson s Catalyst, Rh(PPh3)3Cl, has been supported on phosphinated polystyrene as shown in equation (9). The supported complex can be used as an alkene hydrogenation catalyst. 

Functionalized polymers incorporating neutral, metal binding ligands such as phosphine were prepared as early as 1959 (Rabinowitz and Marcus, 1961 Issleib and Tzschach, 1959). After Merriheld introduced the concept of solid-phase synthesis, the basic idea of using polymer-immobilized transition metal complexes as catalysts burgeoned, and many more polymeric supports containing neutral donor ligands have been prepared. 

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