Survey of the Catalysts

Alkyne cyclotrimerization occurs at various homogeneous and heterogeneous transition metal and Ziegler-type catalysts [7], Substituted benzenes have been prepared in the presence of iron, cobalt, and nickel carbonyls [8] as well as trialkyl- and triarylchromium compounds [9]. Bis(acrylonitrile)nickel [10] and bis(benzonitrile)palladium chloride [11] catalyze the cyclotrimerization of tolane to hexaphenylbenzene. NiCl2 reduced by NaBH4 has been utilized for the trimer-ization of 3-hexyne to hexaethylbenzene [12]. Ta2Cl6(tetrahydrothiophene)3 and Nb2Cl6(tetrahydrothiophene)3 as well as 7 -Ind-, and 77 -Ru-rhodium 

In contrast to carbocyclic alkyne cyclotrimerizations, the catalytic pyridine synthesis from alkynes and nitriles relies exclusively on cobalt catalysts with a few exceptions where rhodium [16] and iron complexes [17] could be applied. The cobalt-catalyzed pyridine synthesis can even be carried out in a one-potreac-tion generating the catalyst from C0CI2 6 H20/NaBH4 -1- nitrile/alkyne in situ [18]. 

This system may be recommended for the quick exploration of new synthetic applications in research laboratories which do not specialize in organometallic techniques because the cobalt salts can be used in the hydrated form under air, and no sophisticated ligands are necessary. Cobalt(I) halide complexes of the type [XC0L3] having a moderate activity in the synthesis of 2-alkylpyridines are also easily accessible (eq. (3)) [19]. 

Yamazaki s complex (Structure 5) contains two alkyne molecules linked together to form a five-membered metallacycle. Arene-solvated cobalt atoms, obtained by reacting cobalt vapor and arenes, have been used by Italian workers to promote the conversion of a,w-dialkynes and nitriles giving alkynyl-substituted pyridines [20]. -Tolueneiron(0) complexes have also been utilized for the co-cyclotrimerization of acetylene and alkyl cyanides or benzonitrile giving a-substituted pyridine derivatives. However, the catalytic transformation to the industrially important 2-vinylpyridine fails in this case acrylonitrile cannot be co-cyclotrimerized with acetylene at the iron catalyst [17]. 

In 1989 Oehme et al. reported a photoassisted synthesis of a-substituted pyridines under mild conditions using -Cp-cobalt complexes as the catalyst [21]. 

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A survey of the catalysts used is given in Table 2. The M0/AI2O3 catalysts have been prepared using impregnation, drying and calcination treatments starting from the alumina carrier indicated. The others are commercial Criterion and Shell catalysts. 

In practice the alkyne cyclotrimerization to benzene and its derivatives may be performed using both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Most catalysts reported in the survey of the catalysts (cf. Section 3.3.8.2) may be applied, giving good yields, to the cyclotrimerization of unsymmetrically substituted terminal and also internal alkynes. As mentioned above, in the case of terminal alkynes... 

Survey of the patent Hterature reveals companies with processes for 1,4-butanediol from maleic anhydride include BASF (94), British Petroleum (95,96), Davy McKee (93,97), Hoechst (98), Huels (99), and Tonen (100,101). Processes for the production of y-butyrolactone have been described for operation in both the gas (102—104) and Hquid (105—108) phases. In the gas phase, direct hydrogenation of maleic anhydride in hydrogen at 245°C and 1.03 MPa gives an 88% yield of y-butyrolactone (104). Du Pont has developed a process for the production of tetrahydrofuran back-integrated to a butane feedstock (109). Slurry reactor catalysts containing palladium and rhenium are used to hydrogenate aqueous maleic acid to tetrahydrofuran (110,111). 

Conduct a single-gauge pressure survey of the reactor-regenerator circuit. Using the results, determine the catalyst density profile. 

Solid catalysts for the metathesis reaction are mainly transition metal oxides, carbonyls, or sulfides deposited on high surface area supports (oxides and phosphates). After activation, a wide variety of solid catalysts is effective, for the metathesis of alkenes. Table I (1, 34 38) gives a survey of the more efficient catalysts which have been reported to convert propene into ethene and linear butenes. The most active ones contain rhenium, molybdenum, or tungsten. An outstanding catalyst is rhenium oxide on alumina, which is active under very mild conditions, viz. room temperature and atmospheric pressure, yielding exclusively the primary metathesis products. 

Many catalysts have been screened for activity in catalytic chain transfer. A comprehensive survey is provided in Gridnev and Ittel s review."0 The best known, and to date the most effective, are the cobalt porphyrins (Section 6.2.5.2.1) and cobaloximes (Sections 6.2.5.2.2 and 6.2.5.2.3). There is considerable discrepancy in reported values of transfer constants. This in part reflects the sensitivity of the catalysts to air and reaction conditions (Section 6.2.5.3). 

We have illustrated in detail the efforts made in the last few decades to discover the structure of the active sites of the Philhps catalyst and to solve the mystery of the initiation step, which is unique among the polymerization catalysts because it proceeds without activators. From the survey of the hterature it can be safely concluded that much progress has been achieved in the understanding of the surface structure and catalytic activity of the Cr/Si02 system. In particular, concerning the surface structure, the following points now appear to be firmly estabhshed ... 

A quick survey of the literature reveals a confusing picture of the mechanism or mechanisms of surface reactions and the role or roles of the catalyst surface. A contributing factor is that different investigators are approaching surface reaction mechanisms from different points of view. In a very general way, there are three groups of investigators. 

The standard work of Evans [2] as well as a survey of the papers produced in the Journal of Labeled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals over the last 20 years shows that the main tritiation routes are as given in Tab. 13.1. One can immediately see that unlike most 14C-labeling routes they consist of one step and frequently involve a catalyst, which can be either homogeneous or heterogeneous. One should therefore be able to exploit the tremendous developments that have been made in catalysis in recent years to benefit tritiation procedures. Chirally catalyzed hydrogenation reactions (Knowles and Noyori were recently awarded the Nobel prize for chemistry for their work in this area, sharing it with Sharpless for his work on the equivalent oxidation reactions) immediately come to mind. Already optically active compounds such as tritiated 1-alanine, 1-tyrosine, 1-dopa, etc. have been prepared in this way. 

The brief survey of various catalysts for the isomerization of vinylnorbomene 408 into ethylidenenorbomene 394 as well as the effectiveness of potassium amide in liquid ammonia for this purpose were described (equation 192)250. One step in the synthesis... 

Computed results from this model are compared to actual kiln performance in Table VI and the operating conditions taken from kiln samples are given in Table VII. There are no unit factors or adjustable parameters in this model. As with the explicit model, all kinetic data are determined from laboratory experiments. Values of the frequency factors and activation energies are given in Table VIII. Diffusivity values are also included. The amount of fast coke was determined from Eq. (49). With the exception of the T-B (5/12) survey, the agreement between observed and computed values of CO, CO2, and O2 is very good considering that there are no adjustable parameters used to fit the model to each kiln. In the kiln survey T-212/10, the CO conversion activity of the catalyst has been considerably deactivated and a different frequency factor was used in this simulation. 

A critical survey of the literature on free radical polymerizations in the presence of phase transfer agents indicates that the majority of these reactions are initiated by transfer of an active species (monomer or initiator) from one phase to another, although the exact details of this phase transfer may be influenced by the nature of the phase transfer catalyst and reaction medium. Initial kinetic studies of the solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate utilizing solid potassium persulfate and Aliquat 336 yield the experimental rate law ... 

The first report of an enantioselective organocatalytic [3+2] cycloaddition between nitrones and a,P-nnsaturated aldehydes was reported by MacMillan and co-workers who showed that iminium ion activation was effective in this reaction (Scheme 8) [64], After a survey of seven catalysts the imidazolidinonium salt 12 HC10 emerged as the most efficient system. The reactions were conducted in a mixture of nitromethane and water at -20 °C in the presence of 20 mol% catalyst... 

The [3+2] cycloaddition has also been shown to be effective in the reaction of azomethine imines 32 with a,P-unsaturated aldehydes by Chen and co-workers [70], A survey of seven catalysts revealed some interesting trends, with the diarylprolinol derivative 31 giving the highest yields and selectivities (40-95% yield endo. exo 1 4.3-1 49 77-96% ee for exo) with short reaction times (5-24 h) and low catalyst loading (10 mol%) (Scheme 11). The reaction was particularly sensitive to the amount of water present in the reaction medium and the choice of co-acid. This phenomenon is a reoccurring theme in many of the publications in the area of iminium ion catalysis and, as yet, no general explanation has been proposed to account for these observations. 

A survey of the main routes to convert biomass-derived oxygenates selectively to hydrogen or alkanes over a variety of heterogeneous catalysts has been presented. 

A brief survey of the positive or negative effects of various elements (viz., of their oxides) on the activity of iron as an ammonia catalyst follows ... 

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to present a survey of the organometallic chemistry and catalysis of rhodium and iridium related to the oxidation of organic substrates that has been developed over the last 5 years, placing special emphasis on reactions or processes involving environmentally friendly oxidants. Iridium-based catalysts appear to be promising candidates for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones as products or as intermediates for heterocyclic compounds or domino reactions. Rhodium complexes seem to be more appropriate for the oxygenation of alkenes. In addition to catalytic allylic and benzylic oxidation of alkenes, recent advances in vinylic oxygenations have been focused on stoichiometric reactions. This review offers an overview of these reactions... 

As a preliminary to the detailed investigation of the kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of thiols in the presence of metal-containing catalysts (8), the present paper describes a survey of the rates and end products of oxidation of a series of alkyl and aryl thiols under comparable conditions. The reaction in the absence and presence of various metal-containing catalysts has been studied under conditions of minimal impurity concentrations. 

Section 11.06.4 of this chapter highlights the substrate scope of olefin CM reactions. Based on this survey of the literature, olefins will then be placed into their appropriate category based upon catalyst activity and substrate tolerance, citing specific examples (Section 11.06.4.6). It is important to note that olefin-type characterization can change in response to catalyst reactivity. For example, an olefin may be characterized as a type III olefin in CM... 

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