Mechanistic studies of palladium-catalysed carbonylation reactions of nitro compounds to isocyanates, carbamates and ureas

Reductive Carbonylation of Nitroarenes Using a Heterogenized Phen-Pd Catalyst

The reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes in the presence of MeOH and CO(g) is one of the interesting alternative routes without utilizing toxic phosgene and corrosive HCl generation for the synthesis of industrially useful carbamate compounds that serve as important intermediates for polyurethane production. Since homogeneous palladium catalysts supported by phen (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) are known to be effective for this catalysis, the heterogenized Pd catalyst was developed using the phen-containing solid support. In this study, we report the synthesis of a phen-based heterogeneous Pd catalyst, Pd@phen-POP, which involves the solvent knitting of a phen scaffold via the Lewis-acid-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reaction using dichloromethane as a source for linker in the presence of AlCl₃ as a catalyst. The resulting solid material has been thoroughly characterized by various physical methods revealing high porosity and surface area. Similar to the homogeneous pallidum catalyst, this heterogeneous catalyst shows efficient reductive carbonylation of various nitroarenes. The catalytic reaction using nitrobenzene as a model compound presents a high turnover number (TON = 530) and a reasonable turnover frequency (TOF = 45 h^-1), with a high selectivity (92%) for the carbamate formation. According to the recycling study, the heterogeneous catalyst is recyclable and retains ∼90% of the original reactivity in each cycle.

Pd Nanoparticles and Mixture of CO2/CO/O2 Applied in the Carbonylation of Aniline

CO2 is a compound of high stability which proves useful in some organic syntheses as a solvent or component decreasing explosivity of gases. It is also a good carbonylating agent for aliphatic amines although not for aromatic ones, the latter being carbonylated with phosgene or, as in our previous works, with CO/O2 in the presence of Pd(II) complexes. In this work we have used the mixture of CO/O2 and CO2 for carbonylation of aniline to N,N’-diphenylurea. After optimization of the reaction conditions (56% of CO2 in CO2/CO mixture) we studied the activity of three kinds of pre-catalysts: (a) Pd(II) complexes, (b) Pdblack, and (c) palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) in the presence of derivatives of pyridine (XnPy). The highest conversion of aniline (with selectivity towards N,N-diphenylurea ca. 90%) was observed for PdNPs. The results show that catalytic cycle involves Pd(0) stabilized by pyridine ligand as active species. Basing on this observation, we put the hypothesis that application of PdNPs instead of Pd(II) complex can efficiently reduce the reaction time.

Hydroamination of isocyanates and isothiocyanates by alkaline earth metal initiators supported by a bulky iminopyrrolyl ligand

Synthesis of heteroleptic and homoleptic alkaline earth metal complexes supported by bulky bis-iminopyrrolyl ligands are reported. The catalytic hydroamination of isocyanates and isothiocyanates with aryl amines using calcium complex is presented.

Reduction of Nitrobenzene to Aniline by CO/H2O in the Presence of Palladium Nanoparticles

The transformation of aromatic nitrocompounds into amines by CO/H2O is catalyzed by palladium(II) complexes. Recently, we have proposed that the catalytic cycle includes Pd0 as the transient intermediate and herein, for the first time, we describe the application of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) stabilized by monodentate N-heterocyclic ligands as nanocatalysts facilitating the reduction of Ar–NO2 into Ar–NH2 by CO/H2O. Among the series—Pd(II) complexes, PdNPs and commercial Pdblack—the highest catalytic activity was observed for PdNPs (3.0 ± 0.5 nm) stabilized by 4-Me-pyridine in the presence of 2-Cl-pyridine. The results may be helpful for mechanistic considerations on the role of metallic nanoparticles as active species in other organic processes.

Hydroamination of carbodiimides, isocyanates, and isothiocyanates by a bis(phosphinoselenoic amide) supported titanium(iv) complex

The hydroamination of heterocumulenes such as carbodiimides, isocyanates, and isothiocyanates by a bis(phosphinoselenoic amide) supported titanium(iv) complex as a precatalyst is reported here. The titanium(iv) complex [{Ph₂P(Se)NCH₂CH₂NPPh₂(Se)}Ti(NMe₂)₂] (1) was synthesised by the reaction of tetrakis-(dimethylamido)titanium(iv) [Ti(NMe₂)₄] with [{Ph₂P(Se)NHCH₂CH₂NHPPh₂(Se)}] in toluene at ambient temperature. Titanium complex 1 proved to be a competent pre-catalyst for the addition of an amine N-H bond to carbodiimides, isocyanates, and isothiocyanates. The reaction scope was expanded to reactions of aliphatic and aromatic amines with phenylisocyanates and phenylisothiocyanates in toluene solvents proceeding rapidly at room temperature with 5 mol% catalyst loadings to yield the corresponding urea and thio-urea derivatives up to 99%. However, ambient temperature was needed for hydroamination of 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The amine addition reactions with isocyanates showed first order kinetics with respect to catalyst 1 as well as substrates. The most plausible mechanism for the hydroamination reaction was established by isolating 1,1-dimethylphenyl urea as a side product.

UV gelation of single-component polyacrylates bearing dinitrobenzoate side groups

Polyacrylates bearing dinitrobenzoate side groups undergo sol–gel–sol transformations in DMF or THF solutions regulated by alternating UV light and dark conditions.

Away from phosgene: reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes and oxidative carbonylation of amines, understanding the mechanism to improve performance

Recent progress, with some emphasis on the author's own work, on the understanding of the mechanism of the reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes and of the oxidative carbonylation of amines is discussed, highlighting the close connection between the two reactions and trying to unify scattered data in the literature. Isocyanates, carbamates and ureas can be obtained by either procedure, without the need for the use of the toxic and corrosive phosgene.

Heavier group 2 element-catalysed hydroamination of isocyanates

The heteroleptic calcium amides [{ArNC(Me)CHC(Me)NAr}Ca(NR(2))(THF)] (Ar=2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl, R=SiMe(3), Ph) and the homoleptic heavier alkaline earth amides, [M{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(2)] (M=Ca, Sr and Ba) are reported as pre-catalysts for the hydroamination of isocyanates.

Síntese e emprego do [Pd(dmba)(NCO)(PPh3)] em processos catalíticos envolvendo a preparação de derivados da uréia e de alcoxicarbonil complexos

Este trabalho trata do emprego do ciclometalado [Pd(dmba) (NCO)(PPh3)] (dmba = N,N-dimetilbenzilamina; PPh3 = trifenilfosfina) em processos catalíticos em fase homogênea, envolvendo a reação entre p-toluidina e p-nitrotolueno, produzindo N,N'-bis(4-metilfenil)uréia. A reação foi realizada a 140 0C, sob pressão inicial de CO de 60 bar. Empregou-se também o mesmo composto em reações de carbonilação na presença dos álcoois metílico e etílico, obtendo-se os alcoxicarbonil complexos [Pd(NCO)(CO2R)(PPh3)2] (R=Me ou Et). Constatou-se que o emprego do [Pd(dmba)(NCO)(PPh3)] nos referidos processos, propiciou a formação dos produtos com bons rendimentos.

The effect of the components of the PdCl2/Fe/I2/Py catalytic system on nitrobenzene carbonylation to ethyl N-phenylcarbamate

The PdCl2/Fe/I2/Py catalytic system (Py-pyridine), reported to be highly active in the reaction of nitrobenzene carbonylation to ethyl phenylcarbamate was studied. The present paper describes the role of catalyst components and its effect on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. The increase in the amount of PdCl2 in the system while retaining a constant level of the other catalyst components, results in the increase of both carbamate and aniline yields. The increase in the amount of iron while retaining the other components constant, initially causes an increase in the carbamate yield; however, at Fe: Pd ratios higher than 36, the carbamate yield remains constant. The change in the amount of iron has no effect on the amount of aniline formed in the system. An increase in the amount of iodine in the system while retaining the other components constant, results in a decrease in carbamate yield and a considerable increase in the aniline yield of the reaction products.

Cyanomethyl anion/carbon dioxide system: an electrogenerated carboxylating reagent. Synthesis of carbamates under mild and safe conditions

A new carboxylating reagent ((-)CH(2)CN/CO(2)) was obtained by bubbling CO(2) in a CH(3)CN-TEAP (tetraethylammonium perchlorate) solution previously electrolyzed under galvanostatic control. Organic carbamates were isolated from these solutions after addition of amines and an alkylating agent. In this paper, we describe the optimized conditions for the electrochemical synthesis of carbamates from amines and CO(2), in mild and safe conditions, without any addition of bases, probases, or catalysts. Carbamates were isolated from primary and secondary aliphatic amines in high to excellent yields and from aromatic amines in moderate yields (dependent on the nucleophilicity of the nitrogen atom).

Preparation of Cationic Dinuclear Hydrido Complexes of Ruthenium, Rhodium, and Iridium with Bridging Thiolato Ligands and Their Reactions with Nitrosobenzene

A series of cationic dinuclear hydrido complexes with bridging thiolato ligands [CpMH(&mgr;-SPr(i))(2)MCp][OTf] (4, M = Ru; 6a, M = Rh; 7a, M = Ir; Cp = eta(5)-C(5)Me(5), OTf = OSO(2)CF(3)) were synthesized by treatment of the corresponding chloro complexes [CpRuCl(&mgr;-SPr(i))(2)Ru(OH(2))Cp][OTf] (1) or [CpM(&mgr;-Cl)(&mgr;-SPr(i))(2)MCp][OTf] (2, M = Rh; 3, M = Ir) with HSiEt(3). The dirhodium and diiridium complexes 6 and 7 have been shown to possess a bridging hydrido ligand by crystallographic analysis, while the diruthenium complex 4 is proposed to have a terminal hydrido ligand that undergoes facile migration between the two ruthenium centers in solution. Complexes 4, 6a, and 7a reacted with nitrosobenzene to give the paramagnetic dinuclear nitrosobenzene complexes [CpM(&mgr;-PhNO)(&mgr;-SPr(i))(2)MCp](+) (M = Ru, Rh, Ir) along with azoxybenzene. The molecular structures of the three nitrosobenzene complexes have been determined by X-ray diffraction study to reveal that in each case nitrosobenzene acts as a &mgr;-eta(1):eta(1)-N,O ligand. Judging from the molecular structures and the ESR spectra, the unpaired electron is considered to be located mainly on the nitrosobenzene ligand, at least in the diruthenium and dirhodium complexes. On the other hand, complex 2 reacted with nitrosobenzene to give the incomplete cubane-type trinuclear cluster [(CpRh)(3)(&mgr;-Cl)(2)(&mgr;(3)-S)(&mgr;-SPr(i))](+), whose molecular structure has also been determined crystallographically.