Transition metal catalysts with molybdenum

Another mechanism, proposed by Pichler [87] and Emmettt [88, 89], involves the direct hydrogenation of molecular carbon monoxide to an enol species, followed by dehydration and further hydrogenation to produce methane. It is likely that this mechanism provides an additional reaction channel that may compete over certain transition-metal catalysts with CH4 formation via the dissociation of carbon monoxide. Recent studies of methane formation over molybdenum indicate positive CO and H2 pressure dependencies of the reaction rate... 

Abstract Metathesis-based polymerizations of 1-alkynes and cyclopolymerizations of 1,6-heptadiynes using late transition metal catalysts are reviewed. Results obtained with both binary, ternary, and quaternary catalytic systems and well-defined molybdenum- and ruthenium-based catalysts are presented. Special consideration is given to advancements in catalyst design and mechanistic understanding that have been made in this area over the last few years advancements that have facilitated tailor-made syntheses of poly(ene)s. In addition, the first supported ruthenium-based cyclopolymerization-active systems are summarized. Finally, selected structure-dependent properties will be outlined where applicable. 

Epoxidation of allylic alcohols with peracids or hydroperoxide such as f-BuOaH in the presence of a transition metal catalyst is a useful procedure for the synthesis of epoxides, particularly stereoselective synthesis [587-590]. As the transition metal catalyst, molybdenum and vanadium complexes are well studied and, accordingly, are the most popular [587-590], (Achiral) titanium compounds are also known to effect this transformation, and result in stereoselectivity different from that of the aforementioned Mo- and V-derived catalysts. The stereochemistry of epoxidation by these methods has been compared for representative examples, including simple [591] and more complex trcMs-disubstituted, rrans-trisubstituted, and cis-trisubstituted allyl alcohols (Eqs (253) [592], (254) [592-594], and (255) [593]). In particular the epoxidation of trisubstituted allyl alcohols shown in Eqs (254) and (255) highlights the complementary use of the titanium-based method and other methods. More results from titanium-catalyzed diastereoselective epoxidation are summarized in Table 25. 

Reaction of alkenes with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) in the presence of a transition metal catalyst, for example, a vanadium(V), molybdenum(VI) or titanium(IV) complex, provides an excellent method for the preparation of epoxides. The molybdenum catalysts are most effective for the epoxidation of isolated double bonds, and the vanadium or titanium catalysts are most effective for aUylic alcohols. Even terminal alkenes can be epoxidized readily. For example, 1-decene was converted into its epoxide with t-BuOOH and Mo(CO)6 on heating in 1,2-dichloroethane. 

Complexes of other transition metals have been reported to catalyze Pauson-Khand reactions. Buchwald reported intramolecular PKRs with 1.2 atm of CO at 90 °C in the presence of CpjTi(CO)2. " However, most other catalytic Pauson-Khand reactions have been conducted with late transition metal catalysts. Murai and Mitsudo simultaneously reported intramolecular PKRs catalyzed by ruthenium carbonyl clusters in dioxane or DMAc at 140-160 °C under 10-15 atm of CO. The first Rli-catalyzed PKR was reported by Narasaka. ° In this case, the reaction occurred with acceptable rates, even with CO pressures less than 1 atm. Shibata reported PKRs in refluxing xylenes under 1 atm of CO in the presence of catalytic amounts of PPli and [Ir(COD)Cl]2. Adrio and Carretero showed that the solvated molybdenum carbonyl complex Mo(DMF)3(CO)3 catalyzed intramolecular PKRs with monosubstituted olefins, as well as with disubstituted electron-poor olefins, and Hoye showed that W(CO)5(THF) catalyzes intramolecular PKRs. Iron and palladium complexes have also been reported to catalyze the PKR. 

A major advance in polymerization via metathesis occurred when Schwab et al7 and Schrock unveiled well-defined transition metal catalysts. Molybdenum- and rathenium-based catalysts are highly active in olefin metathesis reactions. The general mechanism that underlies their reactivity is outlined in Figure 2. The catalyst reacts with the alkene via a (2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction to afford a metallocyclobutane intermediate. Cycloreversion with concomitant ring opening relieves strain and unleashes a new metal carbene that reacts with subsequent monomers to yield the polymer chain. 

High density polyethylene (HDPE) is defined by ASTM D1248-84 as a product of ethylene polymerisation with a density of 0.940 g/cm or higher. This range includes both homopolymers of ethylene and its copolymers with small amounts of a-olefins. The first commercial processes for HDPE manufacture were developed in the early 1950s and utilised a variety of transition-metal polymerisation catalysts based on molybdenum (1), chromium (2,3), and titanium (4). Commercial production of HDPE was started in 1956 in the United States by Phillips Petroleum Company and in Europe by Hoechst (5). HDPE is one of the largest volume commodity plastics produced in the world, with a worldwide capacity in 1994 of over 14 x 10 t/yr and a 32% share of the total polyethylene production. 

HDPE resias are produced ia industry with several classes of catalysts, ie, catalysts based on chromium oxides (Phillips), catalysts utilising organochromium compounds, catalysts based on titanium or vanadium compounds (Ziegler), and metallocene catalysts (33—35). A large number of additional catalysts have been developed by utilising transition metals such as scandium, cobalt, nickel, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, palladium, rhodium, mthenium, lanthanides, and actinides (33—35) none of these, however, are commercially significant. 

This process has many similarities to the Phillips process and is based on the use of a supported transition metal oxide in combination with a promoter. Reaction temperatures are of the order of 230-270°C and pressures are 40-80 atm. Molybdenum oxide is a catalyst that figures in the literature and promoters include sodium and calcium as either metals or as hydrides. The reaction is carried out in a hydrocarbon solvent. 

In 1826 J. J. Berzelius found that acidification of solutions containing both molybdate and phosphate produced a yellow crystalline precipitate. This was the first example of a heteropolyanion and it actually contains the phos-phomolybdate ion, [PMoi204o] , which can be used in the quantitative estimation of phosphate. Since its discovery a host of other heteropolyanions have been prepared, mostly with molybdenum and tungsten but with more than 50 different heteroatoms, which include many non-metals and most transition metals — often in more than one oxidation state. Unless the heteroatom contributes to the colour, the heteropoly-molybdates and -tungstates are generally of varying shades of yellow. The free acids and the salts of small cations are extremely soluble in water but the salts of large cations such as Cs, Ba" and Pb" are usually insoluble. The solid salts are noticeably more stable thermally than are the salts of isopolyanions. Heteropoly compounds have been applied extensively as catalysts in the petrochemicals industry, as precipitants for numerous dyes with which they form lakes and, in the case of the Mo compounds, as flame retardants. 

Transition-metal-based Lewis acids such as molybdenum and tungsten nitro-syl complexes have been found to be active catalysts [49]. The ruthenium-based catalyst 50 (Figure 3.6) is very effective for cycloadditions with aldehyde- and ketone-bearing dienophiles but is ineffective for a,)S-unsaturated esters [50]. It can be handled without special precautions since it is stable in air, does not require dry solvents and does not cause polymerization of the substrates. Nitromethane was the most convenient organic solvent the reaction can also be carried out in water. 

Organic hydroperoxides have also been used for the oxidation of sulphoxides to sulphones. The reaction in neutral solution occurs at a reasonable rate in the presence of transition metal ion catalysts such as vanadium, molybdenum and titanium - , but does not occur in aqueous media . The usual reaction conditions involve dissolution of the sulphoxide in alcohols, ethers or benzene followed by dropwise addition of the hydroperoxide at temperatures of 50-80 °C. By this method dimethyl sulphoxide and methyl phenyl sulphoxide have been oxidized to the corresponding sulphone in greater than 90% yields . A similar method for the oxidation of sulphoxides has been patented . Unsaturated sulphoxides are oxidized to the sulphone without affecting the carbon-carbon double bonds. A further patent has also been obtained for the reaction of dimethyl sulphoxide with an organic hydroperoxide as shown in equation (19). 

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