Rhodium complexes computational studies

A thorough computational study of this process has been carried out using B3LYP/ONIOM calculations.31 The rate-determining step is found to be the formation of the rhodium hydride intermediate. The barrier for this step is smaller for the minor complex than for the major one. Additional details on this study can be found at ... 

Status of the Computational Study of Rhodium-Complex-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation... 

Abstract The applications of hybrid DFT/molecular mechanics (DFT/MM) methods to the study of reactions catalyzed by transition metal complexes are reviewed. Special attention is given to the processes that have been studied in more detail, such as olefin polymerization, rhodium hydrogenation of alkenes, osmium dihydroxylation of alkenes and hydroformylation by rhodium catalysts. DFT/MM methods are shown, by comparison with experiment and with full quantum mechanics calculations, to allow a reasonably accurate computational study of experimentally relevant problems which otherwise would be out of reach for theoretical chemistry. 

On the other hand, the dirhodium bridge caged within a lantern structure is thought to be essential to the success of dirhodium complexes in which two rhodium atoms are surrounded by four ligands in a nominal symmetry. Both computational studies and characterization of dirhodium car-benoid intermediates suggested that the intermediate adopts a Rh—Rh=C framework. In another word, two rhodium atoms are bound to one carbene center, and the bonding scenario obeys the three-center orbital paradigm. As such, metal carbenoids derived from chiral Rh complexes and donor/ acceptor diazo compounds are routinely utilized. 

A few studies of isolated metal-silyl complexes and ttie computational study of rhodium-sUyl complexes illustrate the insertion of olefins into metal-silicon bonds. Wrighton studied the photochemical reaction of iron-silyl complexes witti ettiylene (Scheme 9.13). Photolysis of Cp FefCOl fSiMej) in the presence of ettiylene forms Cp Fe(CO)(CjHJ(SiMej). This complex appears to insert ethylene, but ttie 16-electron insertion product is unstable and forms the corresponding vinylsilane and iron hydride complexes as products. Photolysis of Cp Fe(CO)j(SiMe3) in the presence of ethylene and CO forms ttie p-silylaDcyl complex containing two CO ligands. 

Most Pauson-Khand reactions have been conducted with an alkene, an alk5me, and CO. However, PKRs have been developed with aUenynes (Scheme 17.36). Narasaka reported the first example of an intramolecular allenyne PKR catalyzed by an iron complex, and Brum-mond has extensively studied the allenic Pauson-Khand reaction. These reactions have been catalyzed by the combination of Mo(CO) and DMSO or by [Rh(CO)2Cl]2, and several examples are shown in Equations 17.77 and 17.78. - The reactions in Equations 17.77 and 17.78 illustrate the different regiochemistry of the products from reactions catalyzed by molybde num and rhodium. Computational studies indicate that different geometries of octahedral Mo(0), and square-planar Rh(I) species account for the different regioselectivities. ... 

Gridnev, I. D. Liu, Y. Imamoto, T. Mechanism of asymmetric hydrogenation of P-dehydroamino acids catalyzed by rhodium complexes Large-scale experimental and computational study. ACS Catal. 2014,4,203-219. 

Many rhodium(II) complexes are excellent catalysts for metal-carbenoid-mediated enantioselective C-H insertion reactions [101]. In 2002, computational studies by Nakamura and co-workers suggested the dirhodium tetracarboxylate catalyzed diazo compounds insertion reaction to alkanes C-H bonds proceed through a three-centered hydride-transfer-like transition state (Fig. 25) [102]. Only one rhodium atom of the catalyst is involved in the formation of rhodium carbene intermediate, while the other rhodium atom served as a mobile ligand, which enhanced the electrophilicity of the first one and facilitate the cleavage of rhodium-carbon bond. In this case, the metal-metal bond constitutes a special example of Lewis acid activation of Lewis acidic transition-metal catalyst. 

Extensive spectroscopic and other evidences are available for all the three catalytic cycles. For the Co-based catalytic cycle, good kinetic, spectroscopic, and structural data on model complexes exist. For rhodium-catalyzed carbonylation, oxidative addition is found to be the rate-determining step. In contrast, for iridium-catalyzed carbonylation, insertion of CO is the rate-determining step. Thus kinetic measurements show that for 4.13 the insertion reaction is about 700 times faster than that for 4.11. Computational studies, as mentioned earlier (see 3.5), are also in agreement with the kinetic data. 

Rhodium complexes, formed in situ with [Rh(COD)2]BF4 and monodentate chiral spiro phosphite and phosphine ligands, catalyse the AH of both (Z)- and (E)-P-arylenamides with up to 97% ee. A library of 19 chiral binol-monophosphite ligands containing a phthalic acid secondary bis-amide group has been synthesized and screened for use in stereocontrol of rhodium-catalysed hydrogenation of several prochiral dehydroamino esters and enamides. Spectroscopic and computational studies... 

Tye JW, Hartwig IF (2009) Computational studies of the relative rates for migratory insertions of alkcmes into square-planar, methyl, -amido, and -hydroxo complexes of rhodium. J Am Chem Soc 131(41) 14703-14712... 

The ability to harness alkynes as effective precursors of reactive metal vinylidenes in catalysis depends on rapid alkyne-to-vinylidene interconversion [1]. This process has been studied experimentally and computationally for [MC1(PR3)2] (M = Rh, Ir, Scheme 9.1) [2]. Starting from the 7t-alkyne complex 1, oxidative addition is proposed to give a transient hydridoacetylide complex (3) vhich can undergo intramolecular 1,3-H-shift to provide a vinylidene complex (S). Main-group atoms presumably migrate via a similar mechanism. For iridium, intermediates of type 3 have been directly observed [3]. Section 9.3 describes the use of an alternate alkylative approach for the formation of rhodium vinylidene intermediates bearing two carbon-substituents (alkenylidenes). 

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