Rhodium origin

Subsequentiy, the PGM solution is oxidized and acidified to reconvert Ir(III) to Ir(IV). Tri- -octylamine is again used as the extractant, this time to extract iridium. The iridium ia the organic phase is reduced to Ir(III) and recovered. The remaining element is rhodium, which is recovered from impurities in the original solution by conventional precipitation or ion exchange (qv). 

The original catalysts for this process were iodide-promoted cobalt catalysts, but high temperatures and high pressures (493 K and 48 MPa) were required to achieve yields of up to 60% (34,35). In contrast, the iodide-promoted, homogeneous rhodium catalyst operates at 448—468 K and pressures of 3 MPa. These conditions dramatically lower the specifications for pressure vessels. Yields of 99% acetic acid based on methanol are readily attained (see Acetic acid Catalysis). 

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). 

A simplified mechanism for the hydroformylation reaction using the rhodium complex starts by the addition of the olefin to the catalyst (A) to form complex (B). The latter rearranges, probably through a four-centered intermediate, to the alkyl complex (C). A carbon monoxide insertion gives the square-planar complex (D). Successive H2 and CO addition produces the original catalyst and the product ... 

The insertion of a carbene into a Z-H bond, where Z=C, Si, is generally referred to as an insertion reaction, whereas those occurring from Z=0,N are based on ylide chemistry [75]. These processes are unique to carbene chemistry and are facilitated by dirhodium(II) catalysts in preference to all others [1, 3,4]. The mechanism of this reaction involves simultaneous Z-H bond breaking, Z-car-bene C and carbene C-H bond formation, and the dissociation of the rhodium catalyst from the original carbene center [1]. 

Du Bois originally used rhodium(n) acetate and rhodium triphenylacetate (tpa) as catalysts and found that regio-and diastereocontrol was influenced by the catalysts, but neither was particularly effective when low catalyst loadings were used. Inspired by the bridged dirhodium catalysts which have been developed for carbenoid chemistry,40,273,274 a second generation catalyst Rh2(esp)2 116 (esp = a,a,a, o -tetramethyl-l,3-benzenedipropionate) was designed which was capable of much higher turnover numbers (Scheme ll).275 Furthermore, this catalyst was effective in intermolecular reactions. 

Ligand 73 was prepared directly from a single enantiomer of the corresponding naphthol of QUINAP 60, an early intermediate in the original synthesis, and both enantiomers of BINOL. Application in hydroboration found that, in practice, only one of the cationic rhodium complexes of the diastereomeric pair proved effective, (aA, A)-73. While (aA, A)-73 gave 68% ee for the hydroboration of styrene (70% yield), the diastereomer (aA, R)-73 afforded the product alcohol after oxidation with an attenuated 2% ee (55% yield) and the same trend was apparent in the hydroboration of electron-poor vinylarenes. Indeed, even with (aA, A)-73, the asymmetries induced were very modest (31-51% ee). The hydroboration pre-catalyst was examined in the presence of catecholborane 1 at low temperatures and binuclear reactive intermediates were identified. However, when similar experiments were conducted with QUINAP 60, no intermediates of the same structural type were found.100... 

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