Palladium catalyzed methoxycarbonylation of 1-dodecene in biphasic systems – Optimization of catalyst recycling

Rh-Catalyzed Reductive Amination of Undecanal in an Aqueous Microemulsion System Using a Non-Ionic Surfactant

The homogeneously catalyzed reductive amination of the long-chain aldehyde undecanal with diethylamine was performed in an aqueous microemulsion system using the non-ionic surfactant Marlophen NP8. The experiments showed that the used water-soluble rhodium/SulfoXantphos catalyst system is suitable for this reaction. The Rh-catalyzed formation of the alcohol by-product can be completely suppressed by the use of carbon monoxide with its stabilizing effect of the catalyst system. In addition to pressure and temperature, the most important parameters for the reaction performance of the reductive amination are the concentrations of reactants. Especially, the initial concentration of the aldehyde has a strong impact on the chemoselectivity, and the formation of aldol by-product due to the fact that both, the enamine condensation and the aldol condensation are equilibrium reactions.

Palladium-Catalyzed Hydroxycarbonylation of 1-Dodecene in Microemulsion Systems: Does Reaction Performance Care about Phase Behavior?

Catalysis, particularly metal-catalyzed reactions in microemulsion systems, offers a sustainable approach for organic reactions in water. However, it is still a challenging task because of the complex role of the nonionic surfactant in such a system and the interaction of the phase behavior and reaction performance. To get a profound knowledge of this role and interaction, a systematic study of the palladium-catalyzed hydroxycarbonylation of 1-dodecene in a microemulsion system is reported. The influence of the temperature, additives such as cosolvents, the catalyst concentration, and the hydrophilicity of the surfactant and its concentration has been investigated with regard to both the phase behavior and reaction performance. Interestingly, the investigations reveal that not the phase behavior of the microemulsion system but mainly the dimension of the oil-water interface and the local concentrations of the substrates at this interface, which is provided by the amount and hydrophilicity of the surfactant, control the reaction performance of hydroxycarbonylation in these systems. Moreover, it was found that the local concentration of the active catalyst complex at the interface is essential for the reaction performance. Dependent on the surface active properties of the catalyst complex, its bulk concentration, and the nature and amount of additives, the local concentration of the active catalyst complex at the interface is strongly influenced, which has a huge impact on the reaction performance.

Alkaline Hydrolysis of Methyl Decanoate in Surfactant-Based Systems

Surfactant-modified reaction systems are one approach to perform organic reactions with water as the solvent involving hydrophobic reactants. Herein, the alkaline hydrolysis of the long-chain methyl decanoate in cationic and nonionic surfactant-modified systems is reported. The physicochemical behavior of the reaction mixture and the performance of the alkaline hydrolysis were systematically investigated. In water as the solvent, the reaction is slow, but at elevated temperatures, the alkaline hydrolysis of methyl decanoate is accelerated because the reaction product sodium decanoate acts as an ionic surfactant, leading to an increased solubility of methyl decanoate in the aqueous phase. The rate can be significantly increased by the addition of surfactants as solubilizers. In nonionic TX-100 solutions, the reaction rate can be increased by a factor of about 100 for a surfactant concentration of 5 wt %. If cationic surfactants are applied, the reaction rate can be further increased due to the electrostatic interaction between the hydroxide ions in solution and the charged head groups of the cationic micelles.