Competing Mechanisms in Palladium-Catalyzed Alkoxycarbonylation of Styrene

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylation is a versatile method for the synthesis of various aldehydes, esters, lactones, or lactams. Alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes with carbon monoxide and alcohol produces either saturated or unsaturated esters as a result of two distinct catalytic cycles. The existing literature presents an inconsistent account of the procedures favoring oxidative carbonylation products. In this study, we have monitored the intermediates featured in both catalytic cycles of the methoxycarbonylation of styrene PhCH=CH2 as a model substrate, including all short-lived intermediates, using mass spectrometry. Comparing the reaction kinetics of the intermediates in both cycles in the same reaction mixture shows that the reaction proceeding via alkoxy intermediate [PdII]-OR, which gives rise to the unsaturated product PhCH=CHCO2Me, is faster. However, with an advancing reaction time, the gradually changing reaction conditions begin to favor the catalytic cycle dominated by palladium hydride [PdII]-H and alkyl intermediates, affording the saturated products PhCH2CH2CO2Me and PhCH(CO2Me)CH3 preferentially. The role of the oxidant proved to be crucial: using p-benzoquinone results in a gradual decrease of the pH during the reaction, swaying the system from oxidative conditions toward the palladium hydride cycle. By contrast, copper(II) acetate as an oxidant guards the pH within the 5-7 range and facilitates the formation of the alkoxy palladium complex [PdII]-OR, which favors the oxidative reaction producing PhCH=CHCO2Me with high selectivity. Hence, it is the oxidant, rather than the catalyst, that controls the reaction outcome by a mechanistic switch. Unraveling these principles broadens the scope for developing alkoxycarbonylation reactions and their application in organic synthesis.

The Backbone of Success of P,N-Hybrid Ligands: Some Recent Developments

Organophosphorus ligands are an invaluable family of compounds that continue to underpin important roles in disciplines such as coordination chemistry and catalysis. Their success can routinely be traced back to facile tuneability thus enabling a high degree of control over, for example, electronic and steric properties. Diphosphines, phosphorus compounds bearing two separated PIII donor atoms, are also highly valued and impart their own unique features, for example excellent chelating properties upon metal complexation. In many classical ligands of this type, the backbone connectivity has been based on all carbon spacers only but there is growing interest in embedding other donor atoms such as additional nitrogen (-NH-, -NR-) sites. This review will collate some important examples of ligands in this field, illustrate their role as ligands in coordination chemistry and highlight some of their reactivities and applications. It will be shown that incorporation of a nitrogen-based group can impart unusual reactivities and important catalytic applications.

(In situ) spectroscopic studies on state-of-the-art Pd(ii) catalysts in solution for the alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes

(In situ) liquid-phase spectroscopic investigations on state-of-the-art Pd catalysts modified with pyridyl-substituted diphosphine ligands for alkene alkoxycarbonylations have been performed for characterizing resting state complexes in solution.

Sterically Demanding 8-(Diphenylphosphino)quinoline Complexes of Group 10 Metal(II): Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Properties in Solution

Several series of platinum(II), palladium(II), and nickel(II) complexes bearing 8-(diphenylphosphino)quinoline (PQ^H) or its 2-methyl or 2-phenyl derivatives (PQ^Me or PQ^Ph) were synthesized, and their crystal structures and behaviors in solution were investigated. Most of the complexes [M(PQ^R)₂]X₂ (M^II = Pt^II, Pd^II, or Ni^II; R = H, Me or Ph; X = monoanionic ions) characterized in this study have an approximately square-planar coordination geometry with two bidentate P,N-chelating or monodentate P-donating quinolylphosphine ligands in the cis(P,P) configuration. A large steric requirement from the Me or Ph substituent introduced at the 2-position of the quinoline ring gives the resulting complexes severe distortion. The Pt^II and Pd^II complex cations maintained the square-planar coordination geometry, but the M^II center was displaced from the chelating ligand plane. This bending of the chelate coordination makes the M-N(quinoline) bond weaker, as demonstrated by the longer M-N bonds. In accord with the bond weakening, the partial dissociation of the PQ^H or PQ^Me chelates by substitution with halide anions were observed using UV-vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. In contrast, the PQ^Ph complexes were stable in solution toward the addition of halide anions; the intramolecular π-π stacking interaction between the coordinating quinolyl and the 2-substituted phenyl rings protects the M^II center from nucleophilic attack. In the corresponding Ni^II complexes, the steric congestion arising from the mutually cis-positioned PQ^R ligands resulted in a large tetrahedral distortion around the Ni^II center. However, the intramolecular π-π stacking interaction was still effective in the PQ^Ph complex, and this interaction can explain some unusual robustness and electrochemical properties of the Ni^II-PQ^Ph complex.

Synthesis and Reactivity Studies of a [Cp*Rh] Complex Supported by a Methylene-Bridged Hybrid Phosphine-Imine Ligand

[Cp*Rh] complexes (Cp* = η ⁵-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) supported by bidentate chelating ligands are useful in studies of redox chemistry and catalysis, but little information is available for derivatives bearing "hybrid" [P,N] chelates. Here, the preparation, structural characterization, and chemical and electrochemical properties of a [Cp*Rh] complex bearing the κ²-[P,N]-2-[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]pyridine ligand (PN) are reported. Cyclic voltammetry data reveal that [Cp*Rh(PN)Cl]PF₆ (1) undergoes a chemically reversible, net two-electron reduction at -1.28 V vs. ferrocenium/ferrocene, resulting in generation of a rhodium(I) complex (3) that is stable on the timescale of the voltammetry. However, ¹H and ³¹P{¹H} NMR studies reveal that chemical reduction of 1 generates a mixture of products over a 1 h timescale; this mixture forms as a result of deprotonation of the methylene group of 1 by 3 followed by further reactivity. The analogous complex [Cp*Rh(PQN)Cl]PF₆ (2; PQN = κ²-[P,N]-8-(diphenylphosphino)quinoline) does not undergo self-deprotonation or further reactivity upon two-electron reduction, confirming the reactivity of the acidic backbone methylene C-H bonds in the PN complexes. Comparison of the electrochemical properties 1 and 2 also shows that the extended conjugated system of PQN contributes to an additional ligand-centered redox event for 2 that is absent for 1.

Efficient alkene hydrosilation with bis(8-quinolyl)phosphine (NPN) nickel catalysts. The dominant role of silyl-over hydrido-nickel catalytic intermediates

A cationic nickel complex of the bis(8-quinolyl)(3,5-di-tert-butylphenoxy)phosphine (NPN) ligand, [(NPN)NiCl]+, is a precursor to efficient catalysts for the hydrosilation of alkenes with a variety of hydrosilanes under mild conditions and low catalyst loadings. DFT studies reveal the presence of two coupled catalytic cycles based on [(NPN)NiH]+ and [(NPN)NiSiR3]+ active species, with the latter being more efficient for producing the product. The preferred silyl-based catalysis is not due to a more facile insertion of alkene into the Ni-Si (vs. Ni-H) bond, but by consistent and efficient conversions of the hydride to the silyl complex.

Synthesis of MCM-41 Immobilized (Phenoxy)Imine Palladium(II) Complexes as Recyclable Catalysts in the Methoxycarbonylation of 1-Hexene

The immobilization of 2-phenyl-2-((3(tryethoxysicyl)propyl)imino)ethanol (HL1) and 4-methyl-2-(((3(triethoxysilyl)propyl)imino)methyl)phenol (HL2) on MCM-41 afforded the respective ligands HL1-MCM-41 (HL3) and HL2-MCM-41 (HL4). The treatment of complexes Pd(L1)2 and Pd(L2)2 with MCM-41 afforded the immobilized complexes (Pd(L1)2)-MCM-41 (1) and (Pd(L2)2)-MCM-41 (2) respectively. Separately, the reactions of HL3 and HL4 with Pd(NCMe)2Cl2 produced the immobilized complexes Pd(HL3)Cl2 (3) and Pd(HL4)Cl2 (4) respectively. The immobilized compounds were characterized by FT-IR, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). All the complexes (1–4) formed active catalysts in the methoxycarbonylation of 1-hexene to give linear and branched esters. The catalysts were recycled four times without the loss of catalytic activity. Hot filtration experiments established the absence of leaching, and the heterogeneous nature of the active species was derived from mercury drop experiments.

Catalytic activity of a new Ru(ii) complex for the hydrogen transfer reaction of acetophenone and N-benzylideneaniline: synthesis, characterization and relativistic DFT approaches

The synthesis and characterization of a new ruthenium(ii) complex containing a hemilabile P^N-ligand are reported.

Balancing steric and electronic effects of bidentate, mixed P,N ligands to control Kumada catalyst transfer polycondensation of a sterically hindered thiophene

Screening various P,N ligands to control KCTP of a sterically hindered thiophene reveals an oxazoline-based ligand most effective.

(Pyridyl)benzoazole palladium(ii) complexes as homogeneous catalysts in hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes

Complexes 1–6 form “cocktail” catalysts in the hydrogenation and isomerization of alkenes and alkynes where the active species are homogeneous.

Hemilability of P(X)N-type ligands (X = O, N-H): rollover cyclometalation and benzene C-H activation from (P(X)N)PtMe2 complexes

The thermolyses of ((tBu)P(O)N)PtMe2 (, (tBu)P(O)N = (di-tert-butylphosphinito)pyridine) and ((tBu)P(N-H)N)PtMe2 (, (tBu)P(N-H)N = (di-tert-butylphosphino)-2-aminopyridine) in benzene-d6 were investigated. With ((tBu)P(O)N)PtMe2, the product of a rollover cyclometalation of the pyridyl ring was observed in 80% yield along with formation of CH4. In contrast, thermolysis of ((tBu)P(N-H)N)PtMe2 resulted in competing rollover cyclometalation and intermolecular benzene C-H activation with production of a mixture of CH4 and CH3D.

Crystal structures of di-chlorido-palladium(II), -platinum(II) and -rhodium(III) complexes containing 8-(di-phenyl-phosphan-yl)quinoline

The crystal structures of di-chlorido-palladium(II), -platinum(II) and -rhodium(III) complexes containing 8-(di-phenyl-phosphan-yl)quinoline, (SP-4)-[PdCl2(C21H16NP)], (1) [systematic name: di-chlor-ido-(8-di-phenyl-phosphanyl-quinoline)-palladium(II)], (SP-4)-[PtCl2(C21H16NP)]·CH2Cl2, (2) [systematic name: di-chlorido-(8-di-phenyl-phos-phanyl-quinoline)-platinum(II) dichlorometh-ane monosolvate], and (OC-6-32)-[RhCl2(C21H16NP)2]PF6·0.5CH2Cl2·0.5CH3OH, (3) [systematic name: cis-di-chlor-ido-bis-(8-di-phenyl-phosphanyl-quinoline)-rhodium(III) hexa-fluorido-phos-phate di-chloro-methane/-methanol hemisolvate] are reported. In these complexes, the phosphanyl-quinoline acts as a bidentate ligand, forming a planar asymmetrical five-membered chelate ring. The palladium(II) and platinum(II) complex mol-ecules in (1) and (2), respectively, show a typical square-planar coordination geometry and form a dimeric structure through an inter-molecular π-π stacking inter-action between the quinolyl rings. The centroid-centroid distances between the stacked six-membered rings in (1) and (2) are 3.633 (2) and 3.644 (2) Å, respectively. The cationic rhodium(III) complex in (3) has a cis(Cl),cis(P),cis(N) (OC-6-32) configuration of the ligands, in which two kinds of intra-molecular π-π stacking inter-actions are observed: between the quinolyl and phenyl rings and between two phenyl rings, the centroid-centroid distances being 3.458 (2) and 3.717 (2) Å, respectively. The PF6 (-) anion in (3) is rotationally disordered, the site occupancies of each F atom being 0.613 (14) and 0.387 (14). The CH2Cl2 and CH3OH solvent mol-ecules are also disordered and equal site occupancies of 0.5 are assumed.

Structural and photophysical study of copper iodide complex with P^N or P^N^P ligand

A series of CuI complexes with P^N or P^N^P ligand showing rich structural and photophysical properties were synthesized and studied.

A survey of pendant donor-functionalised (N,O) phosphine ligands for Cr-catalysed ethylene tri- and tetramerisation

Selected phosphine-based ligands plus chromium have been found to be promising candidates for MAO-free trimerisation and tetramerisation of ethylene.

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.

Bis{2-[(diisopropyl-phosphan-yl)amino]-pyridine-κN,P}copper(I) hexa-fluorido-phosphate

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Cu(C(11)H(19)N(2)P)(2)]PF(6), is composed of discrete [Cu(PN-iPr)(2)](+) cations [PN-iPr is 2-(diisopropyl-phosphanyl-amino)-pyridine] and PF(6) (-) anions. The Cu(I) atom is bis-chelated by two independent PN-iPr ligands. It has a distorted tetra-hedral coordination by two P atoms [Cu-P = 2.2277 (4) and 2.2257 (4) Å] and two pyridine N atoms [Cu-N = 2.0763 (11) and 2.0845 (12) Å]. Bond angles about Cu vary from 85.11 (3) (P-Cu-N) to 130.37 (2)° (P-Cu-P). In the crystal, N-H⋯F hydrogen bonds link the Cu complexes and the PF(6) (-) anions into continuous chains, which show a cross-bedded spatial arrangement. In addition, several weaker C-H⋯F inter-actions contribute to the coherence of the structure.