Catalyst Activity and Selectivity in the Isomerising Alkoxycarbonylation of Methyl Oleate

The synthesis of unsymmetrical diphosphine ligands ( 3 a – g ) with an o‐tolyl backbone and tert‐butyl, adamantyl, cyclohexyl and isopropyl substituents on the phosphorus moiety is described (1,2‐(CH₂PR₂)(PR′₂)C₆H₄; 3 a : R=tBu, R′=tBu, 3 b : R=tBu, R′=Cy, 3 c : R=tBu, R′=iPr, 3 d : R=Ad, R′=tBu, 3 e : R=Ad, R′=Cy, 3 f : R=Cy, R′=Cy, 3 g : R=Ad, R′=Ad). The corresponding diphosphine–Pd^II ditriflate complexes [(P^P)Pd(OTf)₂] ( 5 a – g ) were prepared and structurally characterised by X‐ray crystallography. These new complexes were studied as catalyst precursors in the isomerising methoxycarbonylation of methyl oleate, and were found to convert methyl oleate into the corresponding linear α,ω‐diester ( L ) with 70–80 % selectivity. The products of this catalytic reaction with the known [{1,2‐(tBu₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₄}Pd(OTf)₂] complex ( 5 h ) were fully analysed, and revealed the formation of the linear α,ω‐diester ( L , 89.0 %), the methyl‐branched diester B1 (4.3 %), the ethyl‐branched diester B2 (1.0 %), the propyl‐branched diester B3 (0.6 %) and all diesters from butyl‐ to hexadecyl‐branched diesters B4 – B16 (overall 4.8 %) at 90 °C and 20 bar CO. The productivity of the catalytic conversion of methyl oleate with complexes 5 a – g varied with the steric bulk of the alkyl substituent on the phosphorus. Ligands with more bulky groups, like tert ‐ butyl or adamantyl (e.g., 5 a , 5 d , 5 g ), were more productive systems. The formation of the catalytically active hydride species [(P^P)Pd(H)(MeOH)]⁺ ( 6‐MeOH ) was investigated and observed directly for complexes 5 a – e and 5 g , respectively. These hydride species were isolated as the corresponding triphenylphosphine complexes ( 6‐PPh₃ ) and fully characterised, including by X‐ray crystallography. The catalytic productivity of 6 a‐PPh₃ was virtually identical to that of 5 a , thereby confirming the efficient hydride formation of 5 a under catalytic conditions.