Rhodium associate pathway

Fig. 2.4 A possible pathway for rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration by RhCI(PPh3)3, based on the mechanism of hydrogenation and the contributions of Evans and others [17], This takes into account the theoretical support for an associative pathway [13] and the observed irreversibility of the H-transfer step with styrenes.

Catalyst cycle of Rh(I)-phosphine system. Most mechanistic studies on ligand-modified rhodium catalysts have been performed with HRh(CO)(PPh3)3. Extensive mechanistic studies have revealed that HRh(CO)2(PPh3)2 (18-electron species) is a key active catalyst species, which readily reacts with ethylene at 25°C [43]. Two mechanisms, an associative pathway and a dissociative pathway, were proposed [43-46], depending on the concentration of the catalyst. 

In principle, the mechanism of homogeneous hydrogenation, in the chiral as well as in the achiral case, can follow two pathways (Figure 9.5). These involve either dihydrogen addition, followed by olefin association ( hydride route , as described in detail for Wilkinson s catalyst, vide supra) or initial association of the olefin to the rhodium center, which is then followed by dihydrogen addition ( unsaturate route ). As a rule of thumb, the hydride route is typical for neutral, Wilkinson-type catalysts whereas the catalytic mechanism for cationic complexes containing diphosphine chelate ligands seems to be dominated by the unsaturate route [1]. 

One computational study see Molecular Orbital Theory) has appeared using RhCl(PH3)2 to model the rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of ethylene see Hydroboration Catalysis). Both associative and dissociative pathways were examined (equation 47). In the associative path, three possible... 

The hydroformylation mechanism for phosphine-modified rhodium catalysts follows with minor modifications the Heck-Breslow cycle. HRh(CO)(TPP)3 [11] is believed to be the precursor of the active hydroformylation species. First synthesized by Vaska in 1963 [98] and structurally characterized in the same year [99], Wilkinson introduced this phosphine-stabilized rhodium catalyst to hydroformylation five years later [100]. As one of life s ironies, Vaska even compared HRh(CO)(TPP)3 in detail with HCo(CO)4 as an example of structurally related hy-drido complexes [98]. Unfortunately he did not draw the conclusion that the rhodium complex should be used in the oxo reaction. According to Wilkinson, two possible pathways are imaginable the associative and the dissociative mechanisms. Preceding the catalytic cycle are several equilibria which generate the key intermediate HRh(CO)2(TPP)2 (Scheme 4 L = ligand). 

---