Cationic rhodium hydrogenation catalysts containing chelating diphosphine ligands: effect of chelate ring size

Earlier studies on the [(1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane)rhodium]^p+-catalyzed hydrogenation of 1-hexene and methyl-(Z)-α-acetamidocinnamate have been extended to catalysts containing larger chelating diphosphine ligands, i.e., Ph₂P(CH₂)_nPPh₂, where n = 3, 4 and 5. Comparisons include measurements of equilibrium constants for the binding of the olefinic substrates to the catalysts and of the catalytic hydrogenenation rates. Some related measurements also are reported for the corresponding catalyst systems containing the chiral ligand, 4R,5R-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)-2,2,-dimethyldioxalane (DIOP) and non-chelating PPh₃ ligands.