Sulfur dioxide, reaction with palladium

Snia Viscosa. Catalytic air oxidation of toluene gives benzoic acid (qv) in ca 90% yield. The benzoic acid is hydrogenated over a palladium catalyst to cyclohexanecarboxyhc acid [98-89-5]. This is converted directiy to cmde caprolactam by nitrosation with nitrosylsulfuric acid, which is produced by conventional absorption of NO in oleum. Normally, the reaction mass is neutralized with ammonia to form 4 kg ammonium sulfate per kilogram of caprolactam (16). In a no-sulfate version of the process, the reaction mass is diluted with water and is extracted with an alkylphenol solvent. The aqueous phase is decomposed by thermal means for recovery of sulfur dioxide, which is recycled (17). The basic process chemistry is as follows ... 

C-21 dicarboxyhc acids are produced by Westvaco Corporation in Charleston, South Carolina in multimillion kg quantities. The process involves reaction of tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) (containing about 50% oleic acid and 50% hnoleic acid) with acryhc acid [79-10-7] and iodine at 220—250°C for about 2 hours (90). A yield of C-21 as high as 42% was reported. The function of the iodine is apparendy to conjugate the double bond in linoleic acid, after which the acryhc acid adds via a Diels-Alder type reaction to form the cycHc reaction product. Other catalysts have been described and include clay (91), palladium, and sulfur dioxide (92). After the reaction is complete, the unreacted oleic acid is removed by distillation, and the cmde C-21 diacid can be further purified by thin film distillation or molecular distillation. 

Palladium(II) complexes possessing bidentate ligands are known to efficiently catalyze the copolymerization of olefins with carbon monoxide to form polyketones.594-596 Sulfur dioxide is an attractive monomer for catalytic copolymerizations with olefins since S02, like CO, is known to undergo facile insertion reactions into a variety of transition metal-alkyl bonds. Indeed, Drent has patented alternating copolymerization of ethylene with S02 using various palladium(II) complexes.597 In 1998, Sen and coworkers also reported that [(dppp)PdMe(NCMe)]BF4 was an effective catalyst for the copolymerization of S02 with ethylene, propylene, and cyclopentene.598 There is a report of the insertion reactions of S02 into PdII-methyl bonds and the attempted spectroscopic detection of the copolymerization of ethylene and S02.599... 

Palladium is attacked by concentrated nitric acid, particularly in the presence of nitrogen oxides. The reaction is slow in dilute nitric acid. Finely divided palladium metal reacts with warm nitric acid forming paUadium(ll) nitrate, Pd(NOs)2. Hydrochloric acid has no affect on the metal. Reaction with boiling sulfuric acid yields palladium sulfate, PdS04, and sulfur dioxide. 

Palladium alkoxide complexes are thought to be formed in the reactions of alcohols catalyzed by palladium(II) chloride. These reactions include the oxidation of alcohols, yielding acetals or ketones,137,138 and their carbonylation, yielding esters.139 Alkoxide intermediates are also thought to be involved in the reaction of sulfur dioxide with [PdCl2] suspended in alcohol (equation 15).140,141... 

Xlld does not involve the chiral center, so if the reaction takes place by this pathway, the migration of the alkyl group from sulfur to palladium (with the concomitant or subsequent loss of sulfur dioxide) must take place with inversion of configuration at carbon. Inversion of configuration at carbon has been observed in the reverse-type reaction, the sulfur dioxide insertion into a carbon-iron sigma bond (49). Nucleophilic displacement at carbon in compounds of type Xld is unusually difficult, so the reaction via the sulfite intermediate Xlld would appear to be more likely. Conversion of the tosylate of l-phenyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol to the corresponding chloride, a reaction which takes place in the presence of tetra- (n-butyl) ajnmonium chloride with inversion of configuration at carbon, requires 100°C for 24 hrs in dimethylsulfoxide. 

Normally, the most practical vinyl substitutions are achieved by use of the oxidative additions of organic bromides, iodides, diazonium salts or triflates to palladium(0)-phosphine complexes in situ. The organic halide, diazonium salt or triflate, an alkene, a base to neutralize the acid formed and a catalytic amount of a palladium(II) salt, usually in conjunction with a triarylphosphine, are the usual reactants at about 25-100 C. This method is useful for reactions of aryl, heterocyclic and vinyl derviatives. Acid chlorides also react, usually yielding decarbonylated products, although there are a few exceptions. Likewise, arylsulfonyl chlorides lose sulfur dioxide and form arylated alkenes. Aryl chlorides have been reacted successfully in a few instances but only with the most reactive alkenes and usually under more vigorous conditions. Benzyl iodide, bromide and chloride will benzylate alkenes but other alkyl halides generally do not alkylate alkenes by this procedure. 

Palladium(II) chloride catalyzes reaction of SO2 with ethylene [Eq. (36], the mechanism of which is postulated to involve sulfur dioxide insertion into a Pd—C bond (55), viz., Eq. (37). 

Klein reported the formation of tazrts-2-butenylsulfone by the reaction of ethylene and sulfur dioxide in the presence of palladium salts as catalysts 117>. The reaction starts with the insertion of ethylene into a Pd-H bond, followed by sulfur dioxide insertion 118>. Then two molecules of ethylene are inserted into the palladium sulfur bond. 

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