Manganese Complexes for (De)Hydrogenation Catalysis: A Comparison to Cobalt and Iron Catalysts

The sustainable use of the resources on our planet is essential. Noble metals are very rare and are diversely used in key technologies, such as catalysis. Manganese is the third most abundant transition metal of the Earth's crust and based on the recently discovered impressive reactivity in hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions, is a potentially useful noble‐metal “replacement”. The hope of novel selectivity profiles, not possible with noble metals, is also an aim of such a “replacement”. The reactivity of manganese complexes in (de)hydrogenation reactions was demonstrated for the first time in 2016. Herein, we summarize the work that has been published since then and especially discuss the importance of homogeneous manganese catalysts in comparison to cobalt and iron catalysts.     

Chiral iridium(I) bis(NHC) complexes as catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation

The common use of NHC complexes in transition‐metal mediated C–C coupling and metathesis reactions in recent decades has established N‐heterocyclic carbenes as a new class of ligand for catalysis. The field of asymmetric catalysis with complexes bearing NHC‐containing chiral ligands is dominated by mixed carbene/oxazoline or carbene/phosphane chelating ligands. In contrast, applications of complexes with chiral, chelating bis(NHC) ligands are rare. In the present work new chiral iridium(I) bis(NHC) complexes and their application in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones are described. A series of chiral bis(azolium) salts have been prepared following a synthetic pathway, starting from L ‐valinol and the modular buildup allows the structural variation of the ligand precursors. The iridium complexes were formed via a one‐pot transmetallation procedure. The prepared complexes were applied as catalysts in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of various prochiral ketones, affording the corresponding chiral alcohols in high yields and moderate to good enantioselectivities of up to 68%. The enantioselectivities of the catalysts were strongly affected by the various, terminal N‐substituents of the chelating bis(NHC) ligands. The results presented in this work indicate the potential of bis‐carbenes as stereodirecting ligands for asymmetric catalysis and are offering a base for further developments. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chloride‐Bridged Dinuclear Rhodium(III) Complexes Bearing Chiral Diphosphine Ligands: Catalyst Precursors for Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Simple Olefins

Efficient rhodium(III) catalysts were developed for asymmetric hydrogenation of simple olefins. A new series of chloride‐bridged dinuclear rhodium(III) complexes 1 were synthesized from the rhodium(I) precursor [RhCl(cod)]₂, chiral diphosphine ligands, and hydrochloric acid. Complexes from the series acted as efficient catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation of (E)‐prop‐1‐ene‐1,2‐diyldibenzene and its derivatives without any directing groups, in sharp contrast to widely used rhodium(I) catalytic systems that require a directing group for high enantioselectivity. The catalytic system was applied to asymmetric hydrogenation of allylic alcohols, alkenylboranes, and unsaturated cyclic sulfones. Control experiments support the superiority of dinuclear rhodium(III) complexes 1 over typical rhodium(I) catalytic systems.     

Broader,Greener, and More Efficient: Recent Advances in Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation has become a practically useful tool in reduction chemistry in the last decade or so. This was largely triggered by the seminal work of Noyori and co‐workers in the mid‐1990s and is driven by its complementing chemistry to hydrogenation employing H₂. This Focus Review attempts to present a “holistic” overview on the advances in the area, focusing on the achievements recorded around the last three years. These include more‐efficient and “greener” metal catalysts, catalysts that enable hydrogenation as well as transfer hydrogenation, biomimetic and organocatalysts, and their applications in the reduction of C?O, C?N, and C?C bonds. Also highlighted are efforts in the development of environmentally benign and reusable catalytic systems.     

Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of N‐Aryl Imines Derived from Acetophenones by Using Ru–Pybox Complexes under Hydrogenation or Transfer Hydrogenation Conditions in Isopropanol

The asymmetric reduction of N‐aryl imines derived from acetophenones by using Ru complexes bearing both a pybox (2,6‐bis(oxazoline)pyridine) and a monodentate phosphite ligand has been described. The catalysts show good activity with a diverse range of substrates, and deliver the amine products in very high levels of enantioselectivity (up to 99 %) under both hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation conditions in isopropanol. From deuteration studies, a very different labeling is observed under hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation conditions, which demonstrates the different nature of the hydrogen source in both reactions.     

Iron/Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Mechanism and Selectivity‐Determining Interactions

Hydrogenation catalysts involving abundant base metals such as cobalt or iron are promising alternatives to precious metal systems. Despite rapid progress in this field, base metal catalysts do not yet achieve the activity and selectivity levels of their precious metal counterparts. Rational improvement of base metal complexes is facilitated by detailed knowledge about their mechanisms and selectivity‐determining factors. The mechanism for asymmetric imine hydrogenation with Knölker’s iron complex in the presence of chiral phosphoric acids is here investigated computationally at the DFT‐D level of theory, with models of up to 160 atoms. The resting state of the system is found to be an adduct between the iron complex and the deprotonated acid. Rate‐limiting H₂ splitting is followed by a stepwise hydrogenation mechanism, in which the phosphoric acid acts as the proton donor. C?H ??? O interactions between the phosphoric acid and the substrate are involved in the stereocontrol at the final hydride transfer step. Computed enantiomeric ratios show excellent agreement with experimental values, indicating that DFT‐D is able to correctly capture the selectivity‐determining interactions of this system.     

New iminophosphine–Ru(II) complexes and their application in hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation

Ruthenium complexes [RuCl₂L₂] were prepared by treating [RuCl₂(p‐cymene)]₂ with structurally similar N‐(2‐(diphenylphosphino)benzylidene)‐3‐methylpyridin‐2‐amine, 4‐(2‐(diphenylphosphino)benzylideneamino)‐3‐methylphenol and 4‐(2‐(2‐(diphenylphosphino)benzylideneamino)ethyl)phenol refluxed in toluene. These complexes were used as catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenones in 2‐propanol and for the direct hydrogenation of styrenes under hydrogen pressure. The results of the catalytic studies provide evidence that these complexes function as excellent catalysts for hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cobalt–Pincer Complexes in Catalysis

Non-noble metal catalysts based on pincer type compounds are of special interest for organometallic chemistry and organic synthesis. Next to iron and manganese, currently cobalt–pincer type complexes are successfully applied in various catalytic reactions. In this review the recent progress in (de)hydrogenation, transfer hydrogenation, hydroboration and hydrosilylation as well as dehydrogenative coupling reactions using cobalt–pincer complexes is summarised.     

抗硫性芳烃加氢催化剂研究进展

因环保立法限制,芳烃加氢日益受到重视.本文简述了芳烃加氢的热力学及动力学行为,归纳总结了不同的抗硫性芳烃加氢催化剂类型及其加氢机理.鉴于硫中毒对过渡金属催化剂性质的复杂影响,对过渡金属催化剂的硫中毒做了较为详尽的阐述.     

Chiral Phosphino‐ and (Phosphinooxy)‐Substituted N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands and Their Application in Iridium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation

Enantiomerically pure iridium complexes with phosphino‐ and (phosphinooxy)‐substituted N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands were synthesized. Investigation of their electronic properties showed a similar trans influence of the phosphino (or phosphinooxy) and the NHC units. The complexes were tested in iridium‐catalyzed hydrogenation. While low conversions were observed with unfunctionalized olefins, the catalysts proved to be suitable for hydrogenation of the α,β‐unsaturated ester 20 , allylic alcohol 21 , and imine 22 . The enantioselectivities were, however, moderate.     

3 d Transition Metal‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Nitriles and Alkynes

Selective hydrogenation of nitriles and alkynes is crucial considering the vast applications of reduced products in industries and in the synthesis of bioactive compounds. Particularly, the late 3d transition metal catalysts (manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper) have shown promising activity for the hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines, secondary amines and imines. Similarly, semihydrogenation of alkynes to E‐ and Z‐alkenes by 3d metals is adequately successful both via the transfer hydrogenation and by using molecular hydrogen. The emergence of 3d transition metals in the selective synthesis of industrially relevant amines, imines and alkenes makes this protocol more attractive. Herein, we provide a concise overview on the late 3d transition metal‐catalyzed hydrogenation of nitriles to amines and imines as well as semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes.     

Ordered Porous Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Matrix with Atomically Dispersed Cobalt Sites as an Efficient Catalyst for Dehydrogenation and Transfer Hydrogenation of N‐Heterocycles

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have been explored widely as potential substitutes for homogeneous catalysts. Isolated cobalt single‐atom sites were stabilized on an ordered porous nitrogen‐doped carbon matrix (ISAS‐Co/OPNC). ISAS‐Co/OPNC is a highly efficient catalyst for acceptorless dehydrogenation of N‐heterocycles to release H₂. ISAS‐Co/OPNC also exhibits excellent catalytic activity for the reverse transfer hydrogenation (or hydrogenation) of N‐heterocycles to store H₂, using formic acid or external hydrogen as a hydrogen source. The catalytic performance of ISAS‐Co/OPNC in both reactions surpasses previously reported homogeneous and heterogeneous precious‐metal catalysts. The reaction mechanisms are systematically investigated using first‐principles calculations and it is suggested that the Eley–Rideal mechanism is dominant.     

金属催化的不对称氢化反应研究进展与展望

手性过渡金属络合物催化的不对称氢化反应是合成光学活性化合物的重要方法. 本文从手性配体及手性催化剂、不对称催化新反应、新方法和新策略三个方面简要评述新世纪以来过渡金属催化的不对称氢化反应研究领域的新进展. 从新世纪初至今, 手性单磷配体得到了复兴, 出现了如MonoPhos、SiPhos、DpenPhos等高效单齿亚磷酰胺酯配体; 磷原子手性(P-手性)配体也得到了快速发展, 如BenzP*、ZhanPhos、TriFer等已成为新的高效手性双膦配体; 螺环骨架手性配体成为新世纪手性配体设计合成的亮点, 除了SiPhos、SIPHOX、SpinPHOX等高效手性螺环配体外, 手性螺环吡啶胺基磷配体SpiroPAP的铱催化剂成为目前最高效的分子催化剂. 不对称催化氢化新反应研究也取得了突破, 如非保护烯胺、杂芳环化合物及N-H亚胺的氢化等反应都实现了高对映选择性. 自组装手性催化剂、树枝状手性催化剂、铁磁性纳米负载的可回收手性催化剂, 以及“混合”配体手性催化剂等新方法和新策略也在不对称催化氢化反应中得到了应用. 然而, 手性过渡金属络合物催化的不对称氢化研究仍然充满挑战, 也期待新的突破.     

Engineering Catalyst Microenvironments for Metal‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Biologically Derived Platform Chemicals

It is shown that microenvironments formed around catalytically active sites mitigate catalyst deactivation by biogenic impurities that are present during the production of biorenewable chemicals from biologically derived species. Palladium and ruthenium catalysts are inhibited by the presence of sulfur‐containing amino acids; however, these supported metal catalysts are stabilized by overcoating with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which creates a microenvironment unfavorable for biogenic impurities. Moreover, deactivation of Pd catalysts by carbon deposition from the decomposition of highly reactive species is suppressed by the formation of bimetallic PdAu nanoparticles. Thus, a PVA‐overcoated PdAu catalyst was an order of magnitude more stable than a simple Pd catalyst in the hydrogenation of triacetic acid lactone, which is the first step in the production of biobased sorbic acid. A PVA‐overcoated Ru catalyst showed a similar improvement in stability during lactic acid hydrogenation to propylene glycol in the presence of methionine.     

巴豆醛气相选择性加氢催化剂

巴豆醛是α, β-不饱和醛中最具代表性的一类有机化合物,采用气相催化巴豆醛选择加氢制备巴豆醇符合原子经济和绿色化学要求,具有重要的工业应用和学术价值。本文综述了近十年国内外巴豆醛气相选择性加氢合成巴豆醇的负载型催化剂的研究成果,评述了贵金属催化剂(铂、金、铱、银、钯)和非贵金属催化剂(钴、铜)上巴豆醛选择性加氢性能,分析了活性组分、载体、助剂以及活性组分粒径对催化剂性能的影响,探讨了巴豆醛选择性加氢的反应机理和失活机理。最后,对气相巴豆醛选择性加氢催化剂所存在的问题进行总结,并对催化剂的发展趋势作出了展望。指出了非贵金属催化剂的巴豆醛选择性加氢性能因具有价廉易得等优势,将是该领域的研究方向之一。催化剂失活是巴豆醛气相选择性加氢工业化的最大障碍,因此研究和认识反应机理,解决催化剂失活问题是重点研究方向。     

Hydrogenation of polystyrene‐b‐polybutadiene‐b‐polystyrene mediated by group (IV) metal metallocene complexes

Various group (IV) metal complexes, namely bis(cyclopentadienyl) titanium dichloride, bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) titanium dichloride, cyclopentadienyl titanium trichloride, pentamethylcyclopentadienyl titanium trichloride, bis(cyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride, and bis(cyclopentadienyl) hafnium dichloride, were used as the catalysts for mediating styrene–butadiene–styrene hydrogenation. The catalytic efficiency of these catalysts was examined. The results show that catalyst activity strongly depends on the chemical structure of the metallocene complex. We also found that trialkylaluminum has a significant influence on the hydrogenation activity and thermal stability of metallocene catalysts. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2141–2149     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Imines

We have evaluated a wide range of iridium complexes derived from chiral oxazoline‐based N,P ligands for the asymmetric hydrogenation of imines and identified three efficient catalysts. These catalysts are readily synthesized by straightforward convenient routes and are air and moisture stable. In the reduction of acetophenone N‐arylimines and related acyclic substrates, excellent enantioselectivities (up to 96 % ee) were obtained by using 0.1–0.5 mol % of catalyst at ?20 °C and 5–50 bar hydrogen pressure.     

Transfer Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes Catalyzed by CoCu Anchored on Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbon

The non-precious metal catalysts with high catalytic activity is extremely desirable but still full of challenges. In this paper, CoCu bimetal immobilized on nitrogen-doped porous carbon (CoCu-N-C) was prepared by an effective ligand-stabilized pyrolysis strategy. CoCu-N-C exhibited excellent catalytic efficiency for the transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes with ammonia borane as hydrogen source, which can be ascribed to the well dispersed metal nanoparticles, the synergetic interaction of CoCu bimetal and nitrogen-doped carbon. The durability and recyclability experiments of the recycled CoCu-N-C catalyst indicated that no obvious change in catalytic performance was observed after five consecutive cycles. To gain insight into the catalytic mechanism of CoCu-N-C for the hydrogenation reaction, density functional theory calculations was also conducted. This work provides an universal approach for constructing highly efficient non-precious metal heterogeneous catalysts and which may find diverse high performance applications.     

Selective Arene Hydrogenation for Direct Access to Saturated Carbo‐ and Heterocycles

Arene hydrogenation provides direct access to saturated carbo‐ and heterocycles and thus its strategic application may be used to shorten synthetic routes. This powerful transformation is widely applied in industry and is expected to facilitate major breakthroughs in the applied sciences. The ability to overcome aromaticity while controlling diastereo‐, enantio‐, and chemoselectivity is central to the use of hydrogenation in the preparation of complex molecules. In general, the hydrogenation of multisubstituted arenes yields predominantly the cis isomer. Enantiocontrol is imparted by chiral auxiliaries, Brønsted acids, or transition‐metal catalysts. Recent studies have demonstrated that highly chemoselective transformations are possible. Such methods and the underlying strategies are reviewed herein, with an emphasis on synthetically useful examples that employ readily available catalysts.     

Unprecedented Iron‐Catalyzed Ester Hydrogenation. Mild,Selective, and Efficient Hydrogenation of Trifluoroacetic Esters to Alcohols Catalyzed by an Iron Pincer Complex

The synthetically important, environmentally benign hydrogenation of esters to alcohols has been accomplished in recent years only with precious‐metal‐based catalysts. Here we present the first iron‐catalyzed hydrogenation of esters to the corresponding alcohols, proceeding selectively and efficiently in the presence of an iron pincer catalyst under remarkably mild conditions.