Rhodium, carbonyl halides phosphine complexes

A process for the coproduction of acetic anhydride and acetic acid, which has been operated by BP Chemicals since 1988, uses a quaternary ammonium iodide salt in a role similar to that of Lil [8]. Beneficial effects on rhodium-complex-catalyzed methanol carbonylation have also been found for other additives. For example, phosphine oxides such as Ph3PO enable high catalyst rates at low water concentrations without compromising catalyst stability [40—42]. Similarly, iodocarbonyl complexes of ruthenium and osmium (as used to promote iridium systems, Section 3) are found to enhance the activity of a rhodium catalyst at low water concentrations [43,44]. Other compounds reported to have beneficial effects include phosphate salts [45], transition metal halide salts [46], and oxoacids and heteropolyacids and their salts [47]. 

When formaldehyde reacts with rhodium halides, carbonylation proceeds (hydrocarbonylation between formaldehyde and a ruthenium halide as described in Chapter 16 proceeds). A Vaska type rhodium complex is obtained by the reaction with phosphine as shown in eq. (18.7) [17]. 

The products of oxidative addition of acyl chlorides and alkyl halides to various tertiary phosphine complexes of rhodium(I) and iridium(I) are discussed. Features of interest include (1) an equilibrium between a five-coordinate acetylrhodium(III) cation and its six-coordinate methyl(carbonyl) isomer which is established at an intermediate rate on the NMR time scale at room temperature, and (2) a solvent-dependent secondary- to normal-alkyl-group isomerization in octahedral al-kyliridium(III) complexes. The chemistry of monomeric, tertiary phosphine-stabilized hydroxoplatinum(II) complexes is reviewed, with emphasis on their conversion into hydrido -alkyl or -aryl complexes. Evidence for an electronic cis-PtP bond-weakening influence is presented. 

Halogeno-carbonyl and -phosphine complexes. I.r. spectral studies at elevated CO pressures have indicated that carbon monoxide, like other Lewis bases, is capable of bridge splitting in rhodium dicarbonyl halides, as in reaction (15). ... 

As mentioned in the chapter on the reaction mechanism, the anion, especially of Ni-salts, is important in affecting the reaction course. The catalytic efficiency of the nickel halides strongly increases in the series fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide [374—376]. The molar ratio of cobalt or nickel to iodine is also very important [414]. As in the hydroformylation reaction, metal carbonyls substituted by phosphine ligands are very reactive [377, 1009], and especially modified rhodium and palladium catalysts [1021, 1045] allow reactions under mild conditions. Thus, the nickel bromide triphenylphosphine allyl bromide complex shows an increased reactivity in the carbonylation of acetylenes. On the other hand, carbonyls substituted by phosphine ligands are also readily soluble in the reaction mixture [345, 377]. 

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