Catalytic Dehalogenation of Aryl Chlorides Mediated by Ruthenium(II) Phosphine Complexes

Ruthenium(ii)-catalyzed reductive N–O bond cleavage of N-OR (R = H, alkyl, or acyl) substituted amides and sulfonamides

A convenient method for the reductive cleavage of the N–O bonds of amide derivatives was developed using ruthenium(ii)-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation reaction.

Ruthenium-Catalysed Transfer Hydrogenation of Aromatic Aldehydes with Dioxane under Koh: Assistance of Cannizzaro Reaction

Aromatic aldehydes are reduced to the corresponding alcohols in dioxane at 80°C in the presence of a catalytic amount of a ruthenium catalyst together with KOH in moderate to good yields.

Rh(iii)-Catalysed solvent-free hydrodehalogenation of alkyl halides by tertiary silanes

Efficient catalytic reduction of CDCl3 and other alkyl halides, including persistent organic pollutants, by different tertiary silanes using the unsaturated silyl-hydrido-Rh(iii) complex {Rh(H)[SiMe2(o-C6H4SMe)](PPh3)2}[BArF4] as a pre-catalyst is accomplished. The reactions are performed in a solvent-free manner. On account of experimental evidence, a simplified catalytic cycle is suggested for the hydrodehalogenation of CDCl3.

Selective Hydrogenations and Dechlorinations in Water Mediated by Anionic Surfactant-Stabilized Pd Nanoparticles

We report a facile, inexpensive, and green method for the preparation of Pd nanoparticles in aqueous medium stabilized by anionic sulfonated surfactants sodium 1-dodecanesulfonate 1a, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate 1b, dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt 1c, and poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl-3-sulfopropyl ether potassium salt 1d simply obtained by stirring aqueous solutions of Pd(OAc)₂ with the commercial anionic surfactants further treated under hydrogen atmosphere for variable amounts of time. The aqueous Pd nanoparticle solutions were tested in the selective hydrogenation reactions of aryl-alcohols, -aldehydes, and -ketones, leading to complete conversion to the deoxygenated products even in the absence of strong Brønsted acids in the reduction of aromatic aldehydes and ketones, in the controlled semihydrogenation of alkynes leading to alkenes, and in the efficient hydrodechlorination of aromatic substrates. In all cases, the micellar media were crucial for stabilizing the metal nanoparticles, dissolving substrates, steering product selectivity, and enabling recycling. What is interesting is also that a benchmark catalyst like Pd/C can often be surpassed in activity and/or selectivity in the reactions tested by simply switching to the appropriate commercially available surfactant, thereby providing an easy to use, flexible, and practical catalytic system capable of efficiently addressing a variety of synthetically significant hydrogenation reactions.

Nickel-catalyzed C-O bond reduction of aryl and benzyl 2-pyridyl ethers

The reduction of aryl and benzyl 2-pyridyl ethers with sodium isopropoxide was carried out via nickel-catalyzed C-OPy bond cleavage, giving reductive products in reasonable to excellent yields. This method allowed the 2-pyridyloxy group to be directly removed with high efficiency, mild reaction conditions, and good compatibility of functional groups.

Nickel-catalyzed C–N bond reduction of aromatic and benzylic quaternary ammonium triflates

A nickel-catalyzed, efficient C–N bond reduction of aromatic and benzylic ammonium triflates has been developed using sodium isopropoxide as a reducing agent.

Exceedingly Facile Ph-X Activation (X = Cl, Br, I) with Ruthenium(II): Arresting Kinetics, Autocatalysis, and Mechanisms

[(Ph3P)3Ru(L)(H)2] (where L = H2 (1) in the presence of styrene, Ph3P (3), and N2 (4)) cleave the Ph-X bond (X = Cl, Br, I) at RT to give [(Ph3P)3RuH(X)] (2) and PhH. A combined experimental and DFT study points to [(Ph3P)3Ru(H)2] as the reactive species generated upon spontaneous loss of L from 3 and 4. The reaction of 3 with excess PhI displays striking kinetics which initially appears zeroth order in Ru. However mechanistic studies reveal that this is due to autocatalysis comprising two factors: 1) complex 2, originating from the initial PhI activation with 3, is roughly as reactive toward PhI as 3 itself; and 2) the Ph-I bond cleavage with the just-produced 2 gives rise to [(Ph3P)2RuI2], which quickly comproportionates with the still-present 3 to recover 2. Both the initial and onward activation reactions involve PPh3 dissociation, PhI coordination to Ru through I, rearrangement to a η(2)-PhI intermediate, and Ph-I oxidative addition.

Redox-active porous coordination polymers prepared by trinuclear heterometallic pivalate linking with the redox-active nickel(II) complex: synthesis, structure, magnetic and redox properties, and electrocatalytic activity in organic compound dehalogenation in heterogeneous medium

Linking of the trinuclear pivalate fragment Fe2CoO(Piv)6 by the redox-active bridge Ni(L)2 (compound 1; LH is Schiff base from hydrazide of 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid and 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde, Piv(-) = pivalate) led to formation of a new porous coordination polymer (PCP) {Fe2CoO(Piv)6}{Ni(L)2}1.5 (2). X-ray structures of 1 and 2 were determined. A crystal lattice of compound 2 is built from stacked 2D layers; the Ni(L)2 units can be considered as bridges, which bind two Fe2CoO(Piv)6 units. In desolvated form, 2 possesses a porous crystal lattice (SBET = 50 m(2) g(-1), VDR = 0.017 cm(3) g(-1) estimated from N2 sorption at 78 K). At 298 K, 2 absorbed a significant quantity of methanol (up to 0.3 cm(3) g(-1)) and chloroform. Temperature dependence of molar magnetic susceptibility of 2 could be fitted as superposition of χMT of Fe2CoO(Piv)6 and Ni(L)2 units, possible interactions between them were taken into account using molecular field model. In turn, magnetic properties of the Fe2CoO(Piv)6 unit were fitted using two models, one of which directly took into account a spin-orbit coupling of Co(II), and in the second model the spin-orbit coupling of Co(II) was approximated as zero-field splitting. Electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of 2 were studied by cyclic voltammetry in suspension and compared with electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of a soluble analogue 1. A catalytic effect was determined by analysis of the catalytic current dependency on concentrations of the substrate. Compound 1 possessed electrocatalytic activity in organic halide dehalogenation, and such activity was preserved for the Ni(L)2 units, incorporated into the framework of 2. In addition, a new property occurred in the case of 2: the catalytic activity of PCP depended on its sorption capacity with respect to the substrate. In contrast to homogeneous catalysts, usage of solid PCPs may allow selectivity due to porous structure and simplify separation of product.

Hydrogenation of chlorobenzene to cyclohexane over colloidal Pt nanocatalysts under ambient conditions

A series of finely dispersed poly(vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized platinum colloidal nanocatalysts (PVP-Pt) were prepared and characterized by TEM. Hydrogenation of monochlorobenzene (MCB) was carried out in a batch mode using hydrogen over PVP-Pt at 298 K and atmospheric pressure. The product consisted of benzene and cyclohexane during the reaction, and nearly 100% selectivity to cyclohexane could be obtained at approximately 100% conversion of MCB. The catalytic performance of the PVP-Pt colloids is dependent on the preparation conditions. The small amount of the stabilizing polymer (PVP) in the preparation of colloidal platinum could not protect the platinum colloid commendably, but the large amount of PVP hindered the contact of reactant with catalyst surface and the desorption of product. Extra PVP added in the reaction system has some inhibiting effect on the reaction activity, and also resulting in some decrease in selectivity to cyclohexane. The reaction was verified to be first order to the concentration of MCB. The polymer-stabilized noble metal nanoparticles could be suitable to be hydrodehalogenation and reduction catalysts forthe remediation of various chloroaromatic compounds in the environment.

A catalytic deracemisation of alcohols

Racemic alcohols have been converted into enantiomerically enriched alcohols with up to 99% ee in a one-pot oxidation/reduction procedure.

Synthesis and Characterization of Osmium(II) Trispyrazolylborate Complexes

Treatment of H2OsBr6 with excess 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod) in boiling tert-butyl alcohol affords the polymer [OsBr2(cod)]x (1), which reacts with acetonitrile to form the mononuclear adduct OsBr2(cod)(CH3CN)2 (2). Polymer 1 reacts with potassium trispyrazolylborate (KTp) in ethanol to afford the hydride TpOs(cod)H (3) and the bromide complex TpOs(cod)Br (4). Bromide complex 4 reacts with sodium methoxide in methanol to afford TpOs(cod)OMe (5), which has been structurally characterized. Treatment of hydride 3 with methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (MeOTf) in diethyl ether results in loss of methane and formation of the triflate complex TpOs(cod)OTf (6), which reacts with MgMe2 to give the methyl complex TpOs(cod)Me (7). The addition of bis(dimethylphosphino)methane (dmpm) to the known compound TpOs(PPh3)2Cl yields a mixture of the substitution products TpOs(eta1-dmpm)(PPh3)Cl (8) and TpOs(eta2-dmpm)Cl (9); the latter reacts with methyllithium to generate the methyl compound TpOs(dmpm)Me (10). NMR and IR data for these new compounds are reported. Crystal data for 5.MeOH at -80 degrees C are as follows: monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 10.728(1) A, b = 14.004(2) A, c = 13.906(2) A, beta = 102.42(6) degrees , V = 2040.3(5) A3, Z = 4, R(F) = 0.0247 for I > or = 2sigma(I), and R(wF2) = 0.0539 for all data.

Productive Chloroarene C−Cl Bond Activation: Palladium/Phosphine-Catalyzed Methods for Oxidation of Alcohols and Hydrodechlorination of Chloroarenes

The palladium/phosphine-catalyzed productive chloroarene C-Cl bond activation provides general, efficient, and functional group friendly methods for the selective oxidation of alcohols and the hydrodechlorination of chloroarenes.