Simultaneous Induction of Axial and Planar Chirality in Arene–Chromium Complexes by Molybdenum‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Ring‐Closing Metathesis

The molybdenum‐catalyzed asymmetric ring‐closing metathesis of the various C_s‐symmetric (π‐arene)chromium substrates provides the corresponding bridged planar‐chiral (π‐arene)chromium complexes in excellent yields with up to >99 % ee. With a bulky and unsymmetrical substituent, such as N‐indolyl or 1‐naphthyl, at the 2‐positions of the η⁶‐1,3‐diisopropenylbenzene ligands, both biaryl‐based axial chirality and π‐arene‐based planar chirality are simultaneously induced in the products. The axial chirality is retained even after the removal of the dicarbonylchromium fragment, and the chiral biaryl/heterobiaryl compounds are obtained with complete retention of the enantiopurity.     

Methane dehydroaromatization with periodic CH4-H2 switch:A promising process for aromatics and hydrogen

Long-term stability test of Mo/HZSM-5-N catalysts(HZSM-5-N stands for nano-sized HZSM-5) in methane dehydroaromatization(MDA)reaction has been performed with periodic CH4-H2 switch at 1033-1073 K for more than 1000 h.During this test,methane conversion ranges from 13% to 16%,and mean yield to aromatics(i.e.benzene and naphthalene) exceeds 10%.N2-physisorption,XRD,NMR and TPO measurements were performed for the used Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts and coke deposition,and the results revealed that the periodic hydrogenation can effectively suppress coke deposition by removing the inert aromatic-type coke,thus ensuring Mo/HZSM-5 partly maintained its activity even in the presence of large amount of coke deposition.The effect of zeolite particle size on the catalytic activity was also explored,and the results showed that the nano-sized zeolite with low diffusion resistance performed better.It is recognized that the size effect was enhanced by reaction time,and it became more remarkable in a long-term MDA reaction even at a low space velocity.     

Is PdII‐Promoted σ‐Bond Metathesis Mechanism Operative for the PdPEPPSI Complex‐Catalyzed Amination of Chlorobenzene with Aniline? Experiment and Theory

Reduction of the Pd?PEPPSI precatalyst to a Pd⁰ species is generally thought to be essential to drive Buchwald–Hartwig amination reactions through the well‐ documented Pd⁰/Pd^II catalytic cycle and little attention has been paid to other possible mechanisms. Considered here is the Pd?PEPPSI‐catalyzed aryl amination of chlorobenzene with aniline. A neat reaction system was used in new experiments, from which the potentially reductive roles of the solvent and labile ligand of the PEPPSI complex in leading to Pd⁰ species are ruled out. Computational results demonstrate that anilido‐containing Pd^II intermediates involving σ‐bond metathesis in pathways leading to the diphenylamine product have relatively low barriers. Such pathways are more favorable energetically than the corresponding reductive elimination reactions resulting in Pd⁰ species and other putative routes, such as the Pd^II/Pd^IV mechanism, single electron transfer mechanism, and halide atom transfer mechanism. In some special cases, if reactants/additives are inadequate to reduce a Pd^II precatalyst, a Pd^II‐involved σ‐bond metathesis mechanism might be feasible to drive the Buchwald–Hartwig amination reactions.