Termination constants acrylic derivatives

Rhodium(III) tetra(/ -sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin [(TSPP)Rh] aquo and hydroxo complexes react with a series of alkenes in water to form /3-hydroxyalkyl coordination compounds. Addition reactions of (TSPP)Rh-OH to unactivated terminal alkenes CH2=CHR invariably occur with both kinetic and thermodynamic preferences to place rhodium on the terminal carbon to form (TSPP)Rh-CH2CH(OH)R complexes. Acrylic and styrenic alkenes initially react to place rhodium on the terminal carbon to form [Rh]-CH2CH(OH)R as the kinetically preferred isomer, but subsequently proceed to an equilibrium distribution of regioisomers where [Rh]-CH(CH2OH)R is the predominant thermodynamic product. Equilibrium constants for reactions of the diaquo rhodium(III) compound [(TSPP)Rhm(H20)2]3 in water with a series of terminal alkenes that form /9-hydroxyalkyl complexes were directly evaluated and used in deriving thermodynamic values for addition of the Rh-OH unit to alkenes. The AG° for reactions of the Rh-OH unit with alkenes in water was found to be approximately 3 kcalmol-1 less favourable than the comparable Rh-H reactions in water.100... 

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