Synthesis and Structures of Arene Ruthenium (II)–NHC Complexes: Efficient Catalytic α‐alkylation of ketones via Hydrogen Auto Transfer Reaction

A panel of six new arene Ru (II)‐NHC complexes 2a‐f , (NHC = 1,3‐diethyl‐(5,6‐dimethyl)benzimidazolin‐2‐ylidene 1a , 1,3‐dicyclohexylmethyl‐(5,6‐dimethyl)benzimidazolin‐2‐ylidene 1b and 1,3‐dibenzyl‐(5,6‐dimethyl)benzimidazolin‐2‐ylidene 1c ) were synthesized from the transmetallation reaction of Ag‐NHC with [(η⁶‐arene)RuCl₂]₂ and characterized. The ruthenium (II)‐NHC complexes 2a‐f were developed as effective catalysts for α‐alkylation of ketones and synthesis of bioactive quinoline using primary/amino alcohols as coupling partners respectively. The reactions were performed with 0.5 mol% catalyst load in 8 h under aerobic condition and the maximum yield was up to 96%. Besides, the different alkyl wingtips on NHC and arene moieties were studied to differentiate the catalytic robustness of the complexes in the transformations.     

Synthesis of a Pentacene‐Type Silaborin via Double Dehydrogenative Cyclization of 1,4‐Diboryl‐2,5‐disilylbenzene

A new pentacene‐type silaborin, in which three benzene rings are bridged by silicon and boron atoms, has been synthesized and characterized by using NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallographic analysis. The precursor, 1,4‐bis(dimesitylboryl)‐2,5‐bis(phenylsilyl)benzene ( 4 ), was prepared by stepwise introduction of a silyl group and a boryl group to a benzene ring starting from 1,4‐dibromobenzene. Double cyclization of 4 proceeds by a H‐Mes exchange and a B‐H/C‐H dehydrogenative condensation to afford pentacene‐type silaborin 5 . X‐ray crystal structure analysis reveals that 5 adopts a bent structure rather than a planar one. UV/Vis spectra and DFT calculations for 5 reveal a lowering of the LUMO energy level compared with corresponding anthracene‐type 3 .     

Design and synthesis of the honeycomb PtSnNa/ZSM-5 monolithic catalyst for propane dehydrogenation

A novel PtSnNa/ZSM-5 monolithic catalyst was designed and synthesized for the propane dehydrogenation reaction, which was a significant transformation in industry. Experimental results showed that although the propane conversion and the propylene selectivity gradually fell down along with the reaction time, the descent speed of the PtSnNa/ZSM-5 monolithic catalyst was slower than that of the granule catalyst and the propane conversion and propylene selectivity of the reaction with monolithic catalyst still remained at a high level after 12 hr. The monolithic catalyst had regular pore structure that facilitated the separation of the product from the catalyst and reduced the limitation on internal and external diffusion and mass transfer, and led to the high catalytic activity and stability. The catalyst could be easily fabricated and was of highly industrial application potential.     

Alcohols as Fluoroalkyl Synthons: Ni-catalyzed Dehydrogenative Approach to Access Polyfluoroalkyl Bis-indoles

An acceptorless dehydrogenative strategy for the synthesis of polyfluoroalkylated bis-indoles is described by employing an earth-abundant nickel-based catalytic system under air. The notable feature of the present transformation is the use of bench stable and easily affordable polyfluorinated alcohols without any pre-functionalization for the introduction of precious polyfluoroalkyl groups. The developed straightforward protocol accomplished biologically relevant fluoroalkyl bis-indoles in a sustainable fashion. Extensive DFT study predicts the unique role of indole molecules which stabilizes the transition states during the dehydrogenation process of polyfluorinated alcohols, presumably through non-covalent π⋅⋅⋅π and H-bonding interactions.     

Formation of active phases of Fe/C,Cr/C and Fe–Cr/C catalysts in oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane into ethylene using CO₂ as an oxidant at temperatures of 650–750 °C was carried out over Fe/C, Cr/C and Fe–Cr/C catalysts deposited on a carbon support. Before and after the reaction the catalysts were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), in situ magnetometry and transmission electron microscopy methods. The correlation between activity of Fe/C, Cr/C and Fe–Cr/C catalytic systems and their phase composition was established.     

高活性铜催化剂无受体乙醇催化脱氢制乙醛研究

相较于Wacker工艺进行乙醛工业化生产,发展多相催化体系实现乙醇直接无氧催化脱氢制乙醛和副产氢气,从生产工艺和经济价值方面无疑是一条更加安全高效的路线.在此,我们发展了一种高效、稳固的Cu/SiO₂催化剂,用于乙醇的无受体催化脱氢.通过氨蒸发法制备得到高度分散的Cu颗粒,在没有任何平衡气体的纯乙醇进料条件下,显示出超强的热稳定性.活性组分Cu和载体SiO₂之间的强相互作用,使其具有优异的催化性能.通过反应条件优化,在250℃下实现了较高的乙醇转化率(>40%)和乙醛选择性(>95%),且催化剂在固定床连续反应过程中可稳定运行超过400 h.     

Ferric Single-Site Catalyst Confined in a Zeolite Framework for Propane Dehydrogenation

Non-oxidative dehydrogenation of propane is a highly efficient approach for industrial preparation of propene that is commonly catalyzed by noble Pt or toxic Cr catalysts and suffers from coking. In this work, ferric catalyst confined in a zeolite framework was synthesized by a hydrothermal procedure. The isolated Fe in the framework formed distorted tetrahedra, which were beneficial for the selective dehydrogenation of propane and reached over 95 % propene selectivity and over 99 % total olefins selectivity. This catalyst had a silanol-free structure and was oxygen tolerant, hydrothermally stable, and coke free, with a deactivation constant of 0.01 h⁻¹. This study provided guidance for the synthesis of structural heteroatomic zeolite and efficient propane non-oxidative dehydrogenation over early transition metals.     

Surface Chemistry and Catalytic Reactivity of Borocarbonitride in Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane

Borocarbonitride (BCN) materials are newly developed oxidative dehydrogenation catalysts that can efficiently convert alkanes to alkenes. However, BCN materials tend to form bulky B₂O₃ due to over-oxidation at the high reaction temperature, resulting in significant deactivation. Here, we report a series of super stable BCN nanosheets for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) reaction. The catalytic performance of the BCN nanosheets can be easily regulated by changing the guanine dosage. The control experiment and structural characterization indicate that the introduction of a suitable amount of carbon could prevent the formation of excessive B₂O₃ from BCN materials and maintain the 2D skeleton at a high temperature of 520 °C. The best-performing catalyst BCN exhibits 81.9 % selectivity towards olefins with a stable propane conversion of 35.8 %, and the propene productivity reaches 16.2 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, which is much better than hexagonal BN (h-BN) catalysts. Density functional theory calculation results show that the presence of dispersed rather than aggregated carbon atoms can significantly affect the electronic microenvironment of h-BN, thereby boosting the catalytic activity of BCN.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Catalytic Activity of Cyclometalated Iridium Complexes with a Bidentate POC Ligand

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of cyclometalated iridium complexes with a bidentate POC ligand is presented. Metalation of POC-H (di-tert-butyl(phenoxy)phosphane) with [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ proceeded rapidly at room temperature and afforded mixture of (POC)(POC-H)IrHCl ( 1 a ) and (POC)(COD)IrHCl ( 1 b ), from which complexes (POC)(L)IrHCl where L=PPh₃ ( 1 c ), bipyridine ( 1 d ) and [2,2′-bipyridine]-6,6′-diol ( 1 e ) were prepared through ligand exchange. The compounds were tested in acceptorless dehydrogenation of 1-phenylethanol and transfer dehydrogenation of ethanol in a context of comparison with pincer counterparts (POCOP)IrHCl and (PCN)IrHCl. An attempt to prepare a dihydride complex from 1 e led to dimeric complex [(POC)(bipy-diol−)IrH]₂ ( 3 ) that could explain the low activity of 1 e . DFT studies provided insight into POC-H vs POCOP-H metalation mechanism.     

Synthesis of Ir Catalysts Featuring Amide-functionalized NHC Ligands and Survey of their Activity on Formic Acid Dehydrogenation

2 a and 2 b , [Ir(CI)(COD)(NHC)] (COD=1,5-cyclooctadiene), have been prepared via transmetallation from NHC−Ag complexes. [Rh(CI)(COD)(NHC)] ( 4 ) was prepared analogously. [Ir({κ-C,N-(NHC-acetamide−1H)}(COD)] ( 3 c ) has been synthesized via transmetallation from the deprotonated NHC−Ag complex. [IrCp*({κ-C,N-(NHC-acetamide−1H)}] ( 5 ) (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl), has been obtained analogously. [Ir(CI)(CO)₂(NHC)] ( 6 ) and [Ir({κ-C,N-(NHC-acetamide−1H)}(CO)₂] ( 7 ) have been prepared by carbonylation of 2 b and 3 c , respectively. The catalytic activity of these complexes has been evaluated in the dehydrogenation of formic acid, under solventless conditions, in the presence of water as a cosolvent, and in a 5 : 2 HCOOH/Et₃N mixture, with the best TOF values being obtained in the case of the latter. Stoichiometric experiments suggest COD hydrogenation as the preactivation step.