Chemically Modifiedβ-Cyclodextrins as Supramolecular Carriers in the Biphasic Palladium-Catalyzed Cleavage of Allylic Carbonates: Activity Enhancement and Substrate-Selective Catalysis

Micellar catalysis using a photochromic surfactant: application to the Pd-catalyzed Tsuji-Trost reaction in water

The first example of a Pd-catalyzed Tsuji-Trost reaction, applied in a photochromic micellar media under conventional heating and microwave irradiation, is reported. The surfactant activity and recycling ability were investigated and compared with those of a few commercially available surfactants. The synthetic photochromic surfactant proved to be efficient, recyclable, and versatile for Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions.

Hydroformylation in aqueous biphasic media assisted by molecular receptors

The role of molecular receptors in aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of higher olefins is highlighted through a detailed analysis of their molecular recognition properties. The behavior of cyclodextrins and calixarenes as molecular receptors is especially emphasized and discussed. Their supramolecular interactions with the substrates and the water-soluble ligands proved to be an essential parameter guiding the reaction performances. The hydroformylation activity and chemo- and regio-selectivities can thus be accurately controlled by a suitable match between the receptor and the reaction components. Development outlooks are also presented.

Biphasic aqueous organometallic catalysis promoted by cyclodextrins: Can surface tension measurements explain the efficiency of chemically modified cyclodextrins?

Methylated and hydroxypropylated cyclodextrins (CDs) are highly efficient mass transfer promoters in biphasic aqueous organometallic processes. The surface tension measurements demonstrated that these CDs adsorb at air-water interface and allowed to determine surface excess of CD by using Gibbs adsorption equation. Interestingly, a good correlation between surface excess and catalytic activity was obtained in the case of hydroformylation and Tsuji-Trost reactions. These results point out the importance of CD adsorption at the interface in biphasic aqueous organometallic processes.