Interaction of PdCl2-2-(β-diphenylphosphine)ethylpyridine Complex with Diols and CO: Synthesis of New Alkoxycarbonyl Complexes, Key Intermediates to Cyclic Carbonates

Room temperature hydrophosphination using a simple iron salen pre-catalyst

A highly active iron(iii) complex for room temperature hydrophosphination is reported. The products of the hydrophosphination reaction are also useful ligands for iron catalyzed Negishi cross-coupling.

A general and expedient synthesis of 5- and 6-membered cyclic carbonates by palladium-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation of 1,2- and 1,3-diols

We present a general, practical, and efficient approach to 5- and 6-membered organic carbonates by palladium-catalyzed direct oxidative carbonylation of 1,2- and 1,3-diols, respectively. Reactions were carried out at 100 °C in N,N-dimethylacetamide as the solvent under 20 atm (at 25 °C; 1 atm=101.3 kPa) of a 4:1 v/v CO/air mixture in the presence of 0.5-2 mol % of PdI(2) and KI (KI/PdI(2) molar ratio=10). Excess dehydrating agent, such as trimethyl orthoacetate, was necessary in several cases to obtain appreciable results. The method could also be applied to the synthesis of a high-value-added glycerol carbonate from glycerol, a readily available raw material. When applied to α-D-glucose, a double carbonylation process took place, with direct formation of α-D-glucofuranose 1,2:5,6-dicarbonate.

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.

Evidence for Spontaneous Release of Acrylates from a Transition-Metal Complex Upon Coupling Ethene or Propene with a Carboxylic Moiety or CO2

The development of a new synthetic approach to acrylates based on the formation of alkyl esters of acrylic acids has been studied. A preformed Pd-COOMe moiety is used as a model system to investigate the insertion of an olefin into the Pd--C bond. The fast elimination of acrylate is observed. Density functional calculations support the experimental findings and allow the characterization of transition states along the reaction pathway. The first example of olefin/CO(2) coupling with facile release of ethyl acrylate is also presented.