Rhodium carbonyl

Rhodium Ca.ta.lysts. Rhodium carbonyl catalysts for olefin hydroformylation are more active than cobalt carbonyls and can be appHed at lower temperatures and pressures (14). Rhodium hydrocarbonyl [75506-18-2] HRh(CO)4, results in lower -butyraldehyde [123-72-8] to isobutyraldehyde [78-84-2] ratios from propylene [115-07-17, C H, than does cobalt hydrocarbonyl, ie, 50/50 vs 80/20. Ligand-modified rhodium catalysts, HRh(CO)2L2 or HRh(CO)L2, afford /iso-ratios as high as 92/8 the ligand is generally a tertiary phosphine. The rhodium catalyst process was developed joindy by Union Carbide Chemicals, Johnson-Matthey, and Davy Powergas and has been Hcensed to several companies. It is particulady suited to propylene conversion to -butyraldehyde for 2-ethylhexanol production in that by-product isobutyraldehyde is minimized. 

There are many related compounds, including rhodium carbonyl cluster anions, which are present in the solutions cataly2ing ethylene glycol formation and which may be the catalyticaHy active species or in equiUbrium with them (38). 

Most ring syntheses of this type are of modern origin. The cobalt or rhodium carbonyl catalyzed hydrocarboxylation of unsaturated alcohols, amines or amides provides access to tetrahydrofuranones, pyrrolidones or succinimides, although appreciable amounts of the corresponding six-membered heterocycle may also be formed (Scheme 55a) (73JOM(47)28l). Hydrocarboxylation of 4-pentyn-2-ol with nickel carbonyl yields 3-methylenetetrahy-drofuranone (Scheme 55b). Carbonylation of Schiff bases yields 2-arylphthalimidines (Scheme 55c). The hydroformylation of o-nitrostyrene, subsequent reduction of the nitro group and cyclization leads to the formation of skatole (Scheme 55d) (81CC82). 

The direct combination of selenium and acetylene provides the most convenient source of selenophene (76JHC1319). Lesser amounts of many other compounds are formed concurrently and include 2- and 3-alkylselenophenes, benzo[6]selenophene and isomeric selenoloselenophenes (76CS(10)159). The commercial availability of thiophene makes comparable reactions of little interest for the obtention of the parent heterocycle in the laboratory. However, the reaction of substituted acetylenes with morpholinyl disulfide is of some synthetic value. The process, which appears to entail the initial formation of thionitroxyl radicals, converts phenylacetylene into a 3 1 mixture of 2,4- and 2,5-diphenylthiophene, methyl propiolate into dimethyl thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate, and ethyl phenylpropiolate into diethyl 3,4-diphenylthiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate (Scheme 83a) (77TL3413). Dimethyl thiophene-2,4-dicarboxylate is obtained from methyl propiolate by treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide and thionyl chloride (Scheme 83b) (66CB1558). The rhodium carbonyl catalyzed carbonylation of alkynes in alcohols provides 5-alkoxy-2(5//)-furanones (Scheme 83c) (81CL993). The inclusion of ethylene provides 5-ethyl-2(5//)-furanones instead (82NKK242). The nickel acetate catalyzed addition of r-butyl isocyanide to alkynes provides access to 2-aminopyrroles (Scheme 83d) (70S593). 

This has a folded structure (Figure 2.27) similar to that of rhodium carbonyl chloride (Figure 2.18) with ethene acting as a two-electron donor, but ethene is more weakly held and readily displaced by CO and certain alkenes (e.g. cycloocta-1,5-diene). 

Remarkably, Claver et al. showed that in a square planar rhodium carbonyl chloride complex, two bulky phosphite ligands (65) were able to coordinate in a trans orientation.214 Diphosphite ligands having a high selectivity for linear aldehyde were introduced by Bryant and co-workers. Typical examples are (67)-(70).215,216... 

The less bulky ligand (71) studied by Gladfelter leads to dimeric complexes [Rh2(71)2(CO)2] and even tetramers.222 Transformations of rhodium carbonyl complexes in alkene hydroformylation are discussed from the standpoint of the catalytic system self-control under the action of reaction... 

For rhodium carbonyls, the reaction follows a similar pathway except for the complication of equilibria involving the presumed intermediate [HRh(CO)3] (19). A similar equilibrium was postulated at an early date by Natta et al. (14) in order to explain the half-order dependence on... 

However, when a less active olefin (e.g., diisobutylene or cyclohexene) or a liganded system (Bu3P/Co = 2/1,80 atm CO/H2, 190°C) was used, the hydrido species, e.g., HCo(CO)3PBu3, predominated throughout the reaction. The author concluded that in slower systems, initial interaction of the olefin with the hydrido species HCo(CO)3L could be the ratedetermining step. These results are complementary to those discussed (vide supra) for the rhodium carbonyl catalysis. 

Wilkinson and co-workers studied in detail the beneficial effects of triarylphosphine modification of rhodium carbonyls (24, 25, 27, 61). In... 

The catalyst precursor generally used for the reaction is rhodium dicarbonyl acetylacetonate. However, detailed infrared studies under the reaction conditions (ca. 1000 bar CO/H2 and 200°C) have shown both the [Rh(CO)4] and the [Rh12(CO)34 36]2 anions to be present in various concentrations at different stages of the reaction (62, 63). It is suggested that rhodium carbonyl clusters, characterized as having three intense infrared absorptions at 1868 10, 1838 10, and 1785 10 cm-1, are responsible for the catalysis (62), and it is believed that the reaction is dependent upon the existence of the following equilibria ... 

It is thought that these trialkonolamine borates may enhance the reactivity of the rhodium carbonyl anions by minimizing their tendency to form contact ion pairs in solution under the reaction conditions employed. The same patent discloses that ammonium salts and salts of Groups I and II, especially cesium and ammonium carboxylate salts, function as promoters (63). 

SUPPORTED RHODIUM CARBONYLATION CATALYSTS FOR METHANOL CARBONYLATION... 

The first report of rhodium catalysts for aldehyde reduction came from Marko who reported the use of RhCl3 3H20 under hydroformylation conditions [9]. It was suggested that the active species were rhodium carbonyls, and the catalyst system was successfully utilized in the hydrogenation of ethanal, propanal, and benzalde-... 

The rhodium carbonyl cluster [Rh6(CO)i6], in combination with the diamine N,N,N, N -tetramethyl-l,3-propanediamine is an effective catalytic system for the... 

Pettit and coworkers—metal hydride intermediates by weak base attack over Fe carbonyl catalysts. Pettit et al.ls approached the use of metal carbonyl catalysts for the homogeneous water-gas shift reaction from the standpoint of hydroformyla-tion by the Reppe modification.7 In the typical hydroformylation reaction, an alkene is converted to the next higher aldehyde or alcohol through reaction of CO and H2 with the use of a cobalt or rhodium carbonyl catalyst. However, in the Reppe modification, the reduction is carried out with CO and H20 in lieu of H2 (Scheme 6) ... 

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