Electron-deficient [Ti(salophen)(OTf)2]: A new and highly efficient catalyst for the acetylation of alcohols and phenols with acetic anhydride

In the present work, a highly efficient method for acetylation of alcohols and phenols with acetic anhydride catalyzed by high-valent [Ti^IV(salophen)(OTf)₂] is reported. Under these conditions, primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols as well as phenols were acetylated with short reaction times and high yields. The catalyst was reused several times without loss of its catalytic activity.     

The catalysis, synthesis and characterization of ferrocenylchalcone

Eight kinds of ferrocenylchalcone derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of acetylferrocene and aromatic aldehyde using solid as catalyst in the experiment. The influrence of the catalysts, the raw material molar ratios and reaction times on the yield of ferrocenylchalcone derivatives are discussed. The optimal conditions of synthesis reaction have been selected: the catalyst was KF/Al₂O₃, n(acetyl ferrocene)/n(formal dehyde) = 1:1.2. The structures of the products were characterized by melting point test, IR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR and elemental analysis.     

[Sn(TPP)(BF4)2]: An efficient and reusable catalyst for chemoselective trimethylsilylation of alcohols and phenols with hexamethyldisilazane

Tin(IV)tetraphenylporphyrinato tetrafluoroborate, [Sn^IV(TPP)(BF₄)₂], was used as an efficient catalyst for trimethylsilylation of alcohols and phenols with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). High-valent [Sn^IV(TPP)(BF₄)₂] catalyzes trimethylsilylation of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols as well as phenols, and the corresponding TMS-ethers were obtained in high yields and short reaction times at room temperature. While, under the same reaction conditions [Sn^IV(TPP)Cl₂] is less efficient to catalyze these reactions. One important feature of this catalyst is its ability in the chemoselective silylation of primary alcohols in the presence of secondary and tertiary alcohols and phenols. The catalyst was reused several times without loss of its catalytic activity.     

Zirconyl triflate: A new, highly efficient and reusable catalyst for acetylation and benzoylation of alcohols, phenols, amines and thiols with acetic and benzoic anhydrides

Highly efficient acetylation and benzoylation of alcohols, phenols, amines and thiols with acetic and benzoic anhydrides catalyzed by new and reusable zirconyl triflate, ZrO(OTf)₂, is reported. The high catalytic activity of electron deficient ZrO(OTf)₂ can be used for the acetylation and benzoylation of not only primary alcohols but also sterically-hindered secondary and tertiary alcohols with acetic and benzoic anhydrides. Acetylation of phenols with acetic and benzoic anhydrides was achieved to afford the desired acetates and benzoates efficiently. This catalyst also efficiently catalyzed the acetylation and benzoylation of amines and thiols whereby the corresponding amides and thioesters were obtained in good to excellent yields. This catalyst can be reused several times without loss of its activity.     

Ruthenium-benzocrownether complexes: Synthesis, structures, catalysis and immobilisation in ionic liquids

A facile pathway to [RuCl₂(η⁶-benzocrownether)]₂ complexes is described and crystal structures of the complexes [RuCl₂(η⁶-benzo-15-crown-5)]₂ and [RuCl₂(η⁶-dibenzo-18-crown-6)]₂ are reported. The complexes were derivatised with (1S,2R)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethanol and evaluated in the enantioselective transfer-hydrogenation of acetophenone. The effect of complexation of different alkaline metals (Na, K, Cs) within the crown on the selectivity and reaction rate was studied. Interaction of a sulfonated phosphine ligand with the crown was probed by NOESY-NMR and utilisation of the crownether to serve as an anchor for catalyst immobilisation was investigated.     

Investigation of the catalytic activity of an electron-deficient vanadium(IV) tetraphenylporphyrin: A new, highly efficient and reusable catalyst for ring-opening of epoxides

In this work, the catalytic activity of high-valent tetraphenylporphyrinatovanadium(IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [V^IV(TPP)(OTf)₂], in the nucleophilic ring-opening of epoxides is reported. This new V(IV) catalyst was used as an efficient catalyst for alcoholysis with primary (methanol, ethanol and n-propanol), secondary (iso-propanol) and tertiary alcohols (tert-butanol), hydrolysis and acetolysis of epoxides with acetic acid and also for the conversion of epoxides to 1,2-diacetates with acetic anhydride, conversion of epoxides to thiiranes with ammonium thiocyanate and thiourea, and for conversion of epoxides to acetonides with acetone. The catalyst was reused several times without loss of its activity.     

Visible Light-Gated Organocatalysis Using a RuII-Photocage

The light-gated organocatalysis via the release of 4-N,N-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) by irradiation of the [Ru(bpy)₂(DMAP)₂]²⁺ complex with visible light was investigated. As model reaction the acetylation of benzyl alcohols with acetic anhydride was chosen. The pre-catalyst releases one DMAP molecule on irradiation at wavelengths longer than 455 nm. The photochemical process was characterized by steady-state irradiation and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. The latter enabled the observation of the ³MLCT state and the spectral features of the penta-coordinated intermediate [Ru(bpy)₂(DMAP)]²⁺. The released DMAP catalyzes the acetylation of a wide range of benzyl alcohols with chemical yields of up to 99 %. Control experiments revealed unequivocally that it is the released DMAP which takes the role of the catalyst.     

Acetylation of Glycerol over Highly Stable and Active Sulfated Alumina Catalyst: Reaction Mechanism,Kinetic Modeling and Estimation of Kinetic Parameters

The Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) kinetic model was developed for acetylation of glycerol over highly stable and active 2 M SO₄²⁻/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst. The apparent reaction rate constants were determined by numerically solving the differential rate equations using ode23 tool in MATLAB coupled with the genetic algorithm optimization technique. The estimated rate constants were used to obtain the activation energy and pre‐exponential factor by using the Arrhenius equation. The estimated activation energy for direct acetylation of glycerol to monoacetylglycerol and diacetylglycerol was 7.2 kJ mol⁻¹, for acetylation of monoacetylglycerol to diacetylglycerol was 37.1 kJ mol⁻¹, and for acetylation of diacetylglycerol to triacetylglycerol was 26.6 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively.     

Titanium ketimide complexes as α-olefin homo- and copolymerisation catalysts. X-ray diffraction structures of [TiCp(NCBu2)Cl2] (Cp=Ind, Cp*)

The synthesis of [TiInd(NC^tBu₂)Cl₂] and the applications of [TiCp^′(NC^tBu₂)Cl₂] (Cp^′=Ind, Cp*, Cp) as ethylene and propylene homopolymerisation catalysts, as well as its behaviour as catalysts of ethylene and 10-undecen-1-ol copolymerisation are described. The optimisation of the catalytic reactions showed that all compounds are very active homopolymerisation catalysts, particularly [TiInd(NC^tBu₂)Cl₂] that gives 123.37 × 10⁶ g/(molTi [E] h) and 50.77 × 10⁶ g/(molTi [P] h) of linear polyethylene and atatic polypropylene, respectively. The less active homopolymerisation catalyst, [TiCp(NC^tBu₂)Cl₂], is the most effective ethylene/10-undecen-1-ol copolymerisation catalyst, leading to the highest degree of polar monomer incorporation. The polymers obtained were characterised by NMR and DSC. The molecular structures of [TiCp^′(NC^tBu₂)Cl₂] (Cp^′=Ind, Cp*) were determined by X-ray diffraction studies.     

Homogeneous multimetallic catalysts: Part 10. Formylation of aryl and alkenyl iodides by palladium—ruthenium bimetallic catalysts

The PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂—Ru₃(CO)₁₂ bimetallic system exhibited higher catalytic activity for the formylation of aryl and alkenyl iodides than PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂ or Ru₃(CO)₁₂ alone. Thus, in the formylation of iodobenzene (at 70 °C for 1.5 h under 50:50 atm of CO:H₂), the yield of benzaldehyde by PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂—Ru₃(CO)₁₂ catalyst (Pd:Ru = 1:2) was about four times as high as that by PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂ alone. Carbonyl complexes of other metals, such as Mn₂(CO)₁₀, Co₂(CO)₈, Cr(CO)₆, Fe(CO)₅, Mo(CO)₆ and W(CO)₆ were ineffective as the second component of the catalyst. To clarify the mechanism of the synergistic effects, the reaction of PdI(CO-p-Tol)(PPh₃)₂ with [HRu₃(CO)₁₁]⁻ or [HRu(CO)₄]⁻, ruthenium hydride species known to be generated under the catalytic formylation conditions, was performed. The reaction rapidly proceeded at 40 °C by dinuclear reductive elimination to form p-tolualdehyde, although the reaction with molecular hydrogen was very slow. These results strongly suggest that the improved catalytic activity of the Pd—Ru system is attributable to the high hydrogenolysis activity of in-situ-generated ruthenium hydride species.     

Synthesis, structural characterization and selectively catalytic properties of metal-organic frameworks with nano-sized channels: A modular design strategy

Modular design method for designing and synthesizing microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with selective catalytical activity was described. MOFs with both nano-sized channels and potential catalytic activities could be obtained through self-assembly of a framework unit and a catalyst unit. By selecting hexaaquo metal complexes and the ligand BTC (BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) as framework-building blocks and using the metal complex [M(phen)₂(H₂O)₂]²⁺ (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) as a catalyst unit, a series of supramolecular MOFs 1-7 with three-dimensional nano-sized channels, i.e. [M¹(H₂O)₆]·[M²(phen)₂(H₂O)₂]₂·2(BTC)·xH₂O (M¹, M²Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), or Mn(II), phen=1,10-phenanthroline, BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate, x=22−24), were synthesized through self-assembly, and their structures were characterized by IR, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These supramolecular microporous MOFs showed significant size and shape selectivity in the catalyzed oxidation of phenols, which is due to catalytic reactions taking place in the channels of the framework. Design strategy, synthesis, and self-assembly mechanism for the construction of these porous MOFs were discussed.     

Aqueous-Phase Nitrile Hydration Catalyzed by an In Situ Generated Air-Stable Ruthenium Catalyst

RuCl₂(PTA)₄ (PTA=1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) is an active, recyclable, air-stable, aqueous-phase nitrile hydration catalyst. The development of an in situ generated aqueous-phase nitrile hydration catalyst (RuCl₃⋅3 H₂O+6 equivalents PTA) is reported. The activity of the in situ catalyst is comparable to RuCl₂(PTA)₄. The effects of [PTA] on the activity of the reaction were investigated: the catalytic activity, in general, increases as the pH goes up, which shows a positive correlation with [PTA]. The pH effects were further explored for both the in situ and RuCl₂(PTA)₄ catalyzed reaction in phosphate buffer solutions with particular attention given to pH 6.8 buffer. Increased catalytic activity was observed at pH 6.8 versus water for both systems with turnover frequency (TOF) up to 135 h⁻¹ observed for RuCl₂(PTA)₄ and 64 h⁻¹ for the in situ catalyst. Catalyst loading down to 0.001 mol % was examined with turnover numbers as high as 22 000 reported. Similar to the preformed catalyst, RuCl₂(PTA)₄, the in situ catalyst could be recycled more than five times without significant loss of activity from either water or pH 6.8 buffer.     

Synthesis,characterization, and structures of arylaluminum reagents and asymmetric arylation of aldehydes catalyzed by a titanium complex of an N-sulfonylated amino alcohol

A series of phenylaluminum reagents AlPh_xEt_3?x(L) (x = 1–3) containing adduct ligand L [Et₂O, THF, OPPh₃, or 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)] were synthesized and characterized. NMR studies showed that AlPh_xEt_3?x(L) (x = 1 or 2) exists as an equilibrium mixture of 3–4 species in solution. Solid-state structures of the phenylaluminum reagents reveal a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Asymmetric additions of phenylaluminum to 2-chlorobenzaldehyde were examined employing a titanium(IV) complex [TiL¹(OPrⁱ)₂]₂ 10 (H₂L¹ = (1R,2S)-2-(p-tolylsulfonylamino)-1,3-diphenyl-1-propanol) as a catalyst precursor. It was found that the adduct ligand L had a strong influence on the reactivity and the enantioselectivity in asymmetric phenyl additions to aldehydes. The phenylaluminum reagents with OPPh₃ or DMAP were unreactive toward aldehydes, and AlPh₃(THF) was found to be superior to AlPh₃(OEt₂) or AlPhEt₂(THF). Asymmetric aryl additions of AlAr₃(THF) to aldehydes employing a loading of 5 mol % titanium(IV) complex 10 with a strategy of a slow addition of the aldehydes over 20 min were conducted, and the reactions produced optically active secondary alcohols in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities of up to 94% ee.     

Graphene oxide‐bound electron‐deficient tin(IV) porphyrin: a highly efficient and selective catalyst for trimethylsilylation of alcohols and phenols with hexamethyldisilazane

The catalytic activity of graphene oxide‐bound tetrakis(p ‐aminophenyl)porphyrinatotin(IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [Sn^IV(TNH₂PP)(OTf)₂], in the trimethylsilylation of alcohols and phenols with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) is reported. The prepared catalyst was characterized using inductively coupled plasma analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared and diffuse reflectance UV–visible spectroscopies. This heterogeneous catalyst was used for selective trimethylsilylation of various alcohols and phenols with HMDS in short reaction times and high yields. Also, the catalyst is of high reusability and stability, in that it was recovered several times without loss of its initial activity. The chemoselectivity of this catalytic system in the silylation of primary alcohols in the presence of secondary and tertiary alcohols and also phenols was investigated.     

Bimolecular radical scavenging processes for laser isotope separation: NH2D + O2

Infrared multiphoton photooxidation of NH₂D in NH₃ mixtures was observed to produce exclusively HDO, suggesting a single step deuterium separation efficiency of [D₂O]/([D₂0]+[H₂O]) ⩾ 50% which is significantly higher than that of the theoretical value, 33%. The results are explained by the large rate differences in the radical scavenging steps, i.e. k(D+O₂) = 2.2 × 10⁹M⁻¹ s⁻¹, k(NH₂+O₂) ⩽ 5 × 10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and k(NH₂+NH₂)=1.6 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. With Ti solid powder as a catalyst, we observed that the formation yields of HDO are at least three to four times higher than those without a catalyst.     

Dinuclear cobalt and manganese squarate complexes with bidentate N-donor ligand: syntheses, crystal structures, spectroscopic, thermal and voltammetric studies

The crystal structures of [M₂(phen)₄(H₂O)₂(C₄O₄)]· C₄O₄· 8H₂O [M = Co²⁺ (1), Mn²⁺ (2); phen: 1,10-phenanthroline] complexes have been prepared and characterized by IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis and single X-ray diffraction techniques. Their structures consist of [Co₂(phen)₄(H₂O)₂(C₄O₄)]²⁺ (1) and [Mn₂(phen)₄(H₂O)₂(C₄O₄)]²⁺ (2) dinuclear cobalt(II) and manganese(II) cations, uncoordinated C₄O ₄ ^2? (SQ^2?) dianion and crystalization water molecules. In both complexes the metal ions have distorted octahedral geometry. The squarate adopts the μ-1,3 (1) and (2) bis(monodentate) coordination modes, the intradimer M–M separation being 8.053(7) Å (1) and 8.175(4) Å (2), respectively, while the other squarate acts as a counter anion. The voltammetric behaviour of complexes (1) and (2) was investigated in DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) solution by cyclic voltammetry using n-Bu₄NClO₄ as supporting electrolyte. The complexes exhibit both metal and ligand centred electroactivity in the potential ?±1.75 V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The dianion SQ^2? is oxidized in two consecutive steps to the corresponding radical monoanion and neutral form.     

Synthesis,characterization and catalytic application of a new organometallic oligomer based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

Although homogeneous catalysts provide high performance and selectivity, the difficulty of separation and recycling of these catalysts has bothered the scientific community worldwide. Therefore, the demand for heterogeneous catalysts that possess the advantages of homogeneous ones, with ease of separation and recyclability remains a topic of major impact. The oligomeric catalyst synthesized in this work was characterized using elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, ¹³C NMR, ²⁹Si NMR and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopies, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis and compared to its homogeneous counterpart [W(CO)₃Br₂(ATC)] in the epoxidation of 1‐octene, cyclooctene, (S )‐limonene, cis ‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, trans ‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol and styrene. The results showed that the percentage conversion for the homogeneous species [W(CO)₃Br₂(ATC)] was slightly higher than for the oligomeric catalyst (POSS‐ATC‐[W(CO)₃Br₂]). Furthermore, the selectivity for epoxide of the oligomeric catalyst was greater than that of the homogeneous catalyst by about 25% when (S )‐limonene was used. Great conversions (yields) of products were obtained with a wide range of substrates and the catalyst was recycled many times without any substantial loss of its catalytic activity.     

Application of an air stable Pd oxazoline complex for Heck, Suzuki, Sonogashira and related C-C bond-forming reactions

The novel complex trans-[PdCl₂(η¹-N-2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)₂] is shown to be an active and oxidatively robust catalyst for C-C bond-forming reactions (Heck, Sonogashira, Ullman, Suzuki), which can be carried out in air without rigorous solvent/substrate purification and in the absence of additional free ligand.     

Rh2(OAc)4-PPh3 as a catalyst for the liquid-phase dehydrogenation of 2-propanol

The most active homogeneous catalyst hitherto known for the selective dehydrogenation of 2-propanol has been found to form from Rh2(OAc)4 by adding PPh₃ in situ, although Rh₂(OAc)₄ itself possesses no catalytic activity. From the reaction solution a complex was isolated, ³¹P(¹H) NMR of which showed that coordination of PPh₃ occurs not only to the axial but also to the equatorial positions of the Rh-Rh axis. When this complex is used as a catalyst with PPh₃ and acetic acid present, no induction period was observed, which appears for the catalyst generated in situ. Drastic changes in catalytic properties occurred by replacing Rh₂(OAc)₄ with Rh₂(OCOCF₃)₄ or PPh₃ with P(OPh)₃, which indicate prospects of tailor-making the catalyst.     

Manganese(III) porphyrin supported on multi-wall carbon nanotubes: A highly efficient and reusable biomimetic catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes with sodium periodate

In this paper, the biomimetic epoxidation of alkenes catalyzed by tetrakis(p-aminophenyl)porphyrinatomanganese(III) chloride, [Mn(TNH₂PP)Cl], supported on functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes, MWCNT, is reported. The catalyst, [Mn(TNH₂PP)Cl-MWCNT], was used as an efficient and heterogeneous catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes with NaIO₄ at room temperature, in the presence of imidazole as an axial ligand. This new heterogenized catalyst was characterized by elemental analysis, FT IR spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The biggest advantage of Mn(TNH₂PP)Cl-MWCNT is its high reusability in the oxidation reactions, in which the catalyst was reused several times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.