Styrene Hydroformylation with In Situ Hydrogen: Regioselectivity Control by Coupling with the Low‐Temperature Water–Gas Shift Reaction

The hydroformylation of olefins is one of the most important homogeneously catalyzed industrial reactions for aldehyde synthesis. Various ligands can be used to obtain the desired linear aldehydes in the hydroformylation of aliphatic olefins. However, in the hydroformylation of aromatic substrates, branched aldehydes are formed preferentially with common ligands. In this study, a novel approach to selectively obtain linear aldehydes in the hydroformylation of styrene and its derivatives was developed by coupling with a water–gas shift reaction on a Rh single‐atom catalyst without the use of ligands. Detailed studies revealed that the hydrogen generated in situ from the water–gas shift is critical for the highly regioselective formation of linear products. The coupling of a traditional homogeneous catalytic process with a heterogeneous catalytic reaction to tune product selectivity may provide a new avenue for the heterogenization of homogenous catalytic processes.     

Spiroketal‐Based Phosphorus Ligands for Highly Regioselective Hydroformylation of Terminal and Internal Olefins

A new class of bidentate phosphoramidite ligands, based on a spiroketal backbone, has been developed for the rhodium‐catalyzed hydroformylation reactions. A range of short‐ and long‐chain olefins, were found amenable to the protocol, affording high catalytic activity and excellent regioselectivity for the linear aldehydes. Under the optimized reaction conditions, a turnover number (TON) of up to 2.3×10⁴ and linear to branched ratio (l/b) of up to 174.4 were obtained in the Rh^I‐catalyzed hydroformylation of terminal olefins. Remarkably, the catalysts were also found to be efficient in the isomerization–hydroformylation of some internal olefins, to regioselectively afford the linear aldehydes with TON values of up to 2.0×10⁴ and l/b ratios in the range of 23.4–30.6. X‐ray crystallographic analysis revealed the cis coordination of the ligand in the precatalyst [Rh( 3 d )(acac)], whereas NMR and IR studies on the catalytically active hydride complex [HRh(CO)₂( 3 d )] suggested an eq–eq coordination of the ligand in the species.     

Markovnikov hydroformylation catalyzed by ROPAC in the presence of phosphine and phosphine oxide ligands

Rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-octene in the presence of different phosphine and phosphine oxide ligands has been investigated. The molecular structure of new phosphine ligand, fluorenylidine methyl phenyl diphenylphosphine, was determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Parameters such as different ligands, molar ratio of ligand to rhodium complex, ratio of olefin to rhodium complex, pressure of CO : H₂ mixture, and time of the reaction were studied. The linear aldehyde was the main product when the phosphine ligands were used as auxiliary ligands while the selectivity was changed to the branched products when the related phosphine oxide ligands were used. Under optimized reaction conditions, in the presence of [Rh(acac)(CO)(Ph₃P)]-di(1-naphthyl)phenyl phosphine oxide, conversion of 1-octene reached 97% with 87% selectivity of branched aldehyde.     

Styrene Hydroformylation with In Situ Hydrogen: Regioselectivity Control by Coupling with the Low-Temperature Water–Gas Shift Reaction

The hydroformylation of olefins is one of the most important homogeneously catalyzed industrial reactions for aldehyde synthesis. Various ligands can be used to obtain the desired linear aldehydes in the hydroformylation of aliphatic olefins. However, in the hydroformylation of aromatic substrates, branched aldehydes are formed preferentially with common ligands. In this study, a novel approach to selectively obtain linear aldehydes in the hydroformylation of styrene and its derivatives was developed by coupling with a water–gas shift reaction on a Rh single-atom catalyst without the use of ligands. Detailed studies revealed that the hydrogen generated in situ from the water–gas shift is critical for the highly regioselective formation of linear products. The coupling of a traditional homogeneous catalytic process with a heterogeneous catalytic reaction to tune product selectivity may provide a new avenue for the heterogenization of homogenous catalytic processes.     

Hydroformylation of Olefins Catalyzed by Rhodium Trichloride Anchored on Ti-HMS

Rhodium trichloride supported on Ti-hexagonal mesoporous silica (Ti-HMS), via a bipyridyl group, is an efficient catalyst for the hydroformylation of olefins at 120 °C and 40.8 atm of CO/H₂ (CO/H₂=2/1). The catalyst is selective leading to high ratios of linear or branched aldehydes from functionalized olefins, and high activity in the case of propene which gave a turnover frequency of 6209 mol/mol(Rh)/h.     

Synthesis,characterization and evaluation of heterobimetallic Fe(II)/Rh(I) and Fe(II)/Ru(II) complexes as catalyst precursors for hydroformylation of 1-octene

Abstract

Two new ferrocenyl iminopyridyl ligands, L1 and L2, have been synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Both ligands were used to prepare new Rh(I) and Ru(II) ferrocenyl complexes 1–4. The structures of the complexes were confirmed using ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and infrared spectroscopy. The complexes were tested as catalysts in the hydroformylation of 1-octene. Rh ferrocenyl complexes 1 and 4 produced aldehydes under mild conditions while the Ru-ferrocenyl complexes 2 and 3 required higher temperature and pressure for effective hydroformylation to occur. The catalysts display excellent aldehyde chemoselectivity with varying regeoselectivity depending on temperature and pressure conditions employed. At high temperatures, the Rh ferrocenyl precatalysts favor formation of branched aldehydes due to increased isomerization at high temperatures. The Ru ferrocenyl precatalysts displayed less hydroformylation activity; however, the complexes show good chemoselectivity for aldehydes with no hydrogenation products formed.     

Selective hydroformylation of various olefins using diphosphinite ligands

Novel diphosphinite ligands are synthesized by the reaction of various derivatives of 1,3‐diols with chlorodiphenylphosphine. The synthesized ligands exhibited considerable impact on hydroformylation of various olefins with excellent regioselectivity toward branched aldehyde. The effect of solvent, temperature, pressure and catalyst loading on the hydroformylation reaction is also described. The synthesized diphosphinite ligands with rhodium precursor works under milder reaction conditions as compared to traditional phosphine and phosphite‐based ligands. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phosphorus Ligand Modified Rh/SiO2 Catalyst for Hydroformylation of Methyl-3-pentenoate

A phosphorus ligand-modified Rh/SiO₂ catalyst (L-Rh/SiO₂) has been developed for hydroformylation of internal olefins to linear aldehydes. This catalyst has high activity and regioselectivity and can be separated easily by filtration after reaction in an autoclave. Moreover, the electronic and steric effects of phosphorus ligands on the catalytic performance of the L-Rh/SiO₂ catalyst have been investigated by using various monodentate and chelating diphosphorus ligands.     

Synthesis,characterization and hydroformylation activity of 7‐azaindolate‐bridged dinuclear rhodium(I)phosphines with pendant polar‐groups

New dinuclear Rh(I)–Phosphines of the types [Rh(µ‐azi)(CO)(L)]₂ ( 1,3 – 7 ) and [Rh(µ‐azi)(L)]₂ ( 8 ) with pendant polar groups, and a chealated mononuclear compound [Rh(azi‐H)(CO)(L)] ( 2 ) (where azi = 7‐azaindolate, L = polar phosphine) were isolated from the reaction of [Rh(µ‐Cl)(CO)₂]₂ with 7‐azaindolate followed by some polar mono‐ and bis‐phosphines ( L ₁ – L ₈ ). A relationship between Δδ³¹P‐NMR and ν(CO) values was considered to define the impact of polar‐groups on σ‐donor properties of the phosphines. These compounds were evaluated as catalyst precursors in the hydroformylation of 1‐hexene and 1‐dodecene both in mono‐ and biphasic aqueous organic systems. While the biphasic hydroformylations (water + toluene) gave exclusively the aldehydes, the monophasic one (aqueous ethanol) showed propensity to form both aldehydes and alcohols. The influence of bimetallic cooperative effects, and σ‐donor and hydrophilic properties of the phosphines with pendant polar‐groups in enhancing the yields and selectivity of hydroformylation products was emphasized. In addition, when strong σ‐donor phosphine was used, the π‐acceptor nature of pyridine ring of 7‐azaindolate spacer was found to be a considerable factor in facilitating the facile cleavage of CO group during hydroformylation and in supplementing the cooperative effects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Application of Modular Phosphine–Phosphoramidite Ligands in Asymmetric Hydroformylation: Structure–Selectivity Relationship

A series of hybrid phosphine–phosphoramidite ligands has been designed and synthesized in moderate yields from chiral BINOL (1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol) or NOBIN (2‐amino‐2′‐hydroxy‐1,1′‐binaphthyl). They have achieved highly regio‐ and enantioselectivities in Rh‐catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylations of styrene derivatives (branched/linear ratio up to 56.6, ee up to 99 %), vinyl acetate derivatives (up to 98 % ee), and allyl cyanide (up to 96 % ee). Systematic variation of ligand structure showed that the steric factor on the phsophoramidite moiety determined the performance of the ligand. With the increased hindrance, the branched/linear ratio rose, while the ee value dropped in the hydroformylation of styrene. However, the N‐substituents did not influence the selectivities much.     

The effects of structures and compositions of polymer-metal complexes on the hydroformylation of olefins

A number of linear and crosslinked polymer ligands containing P or N or S as coordinative atoms were prepared. The hydroformylation of olefins was carried out at mild conditions in the presence of complexes as catalysts which were made by complexation reactions of these ligands with various homogeneous complexes or metal salts. The obtained results were explained in terms of the influences of the polymer matrix, or the structures and compositions of the polymer chain, and the properties of polymer-metal complexes on activity and selectivity. The most important factor for enhancing the selectivity towards linear aldehyde lies in the properties of the polymer-metal complex. High selectivity up to 95% was obtained by using polymer phosphine ligand-Pt-Sn complexes as catalyst in the hydroformylation of olefins. The hydroformylation mechanisms were discussed.     

Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation of functionalized 1,1-disubstituted olefins

The first method for the highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of 1,1-disubstituted olefins has been developed. By employing either of the P-chirogenic phosphine ligands BenzP* and QuinoxP*, linear aldehydes with β-chirality can be prepared in a highly enantioselective fashion with good chemo- and regioselectivities.     

Domino‐Hydroformylation/Aldol Condensation Catalysis: Highly Selective Synthesis of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes from Olefins

A general and highly chemo‐, regio‐, and stereoselective synthesis of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes by a domino hydroformylation/aldol condensation reaction has been developed. A variety of olefins and aromatic aldehydes were efficiently converted into various substituted α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes in good to excellent yields in the presence of a rhodium phosphine/acid–base catalyst system. In view of the easy availability of the substrates, the high atom‐efficiency, the excellent selectivity, and the mild conditions, this method is expected to complement current methodologies for the preparation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes.     

The Effect of Metal‐Ligand Affinity on Fe3O4_Supported Co–Rh Catalysts for Dicyclopentadiene Hydroformylation

The catalytic performances of Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ catalysts modified with phosphine ligands (PPh₃) and its analogues on dicyclopentadiene hydroformylation were evaluated. Among these catalysts, Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ modified with tris(p‐trifluoromethylphenyl)phosphine was determined to be effective for monoformyltricyclodecanes production, whereas Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ modified with PPh₃ or tri‐p‐tolylphosphine was effective for the diformyltricyclodecanes production. To investigate the ligand effects, the complex catalyst system (Co‐Rh/Fe₃O₄ and phosphine ligand) was subjected to pretreatment with syngas and then characterized by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA). It was determined that the threshold decomposition temperature reflected the corresponding Rh‐phosphine interaction strength, affecting the catalytic selectivity toward different products. A weak Rh‐phosphine interaction was desirable to produce monoformyltricyclodecanes with fast reaction kinetics, whereas a strong Rh‐phosphine complex was required for the synthesis of diformyltricyclodecanes. In addition to the selectivity rule shown in the PPh₃ series, experiments with other ligands also demonstrated similar selectivity trends.     

Branched Tertiary Amines from Aldehydes and α-Olefins by Combined Multiphase Tandem Reactions

This study presents the transformation of olefins to branched amines by combining a hydroformylation/aldol condensation tandem reaction with the reductive amination in a combined multiphase system that can be recycled 9 times. The products are branched amines that are precursors for surfactants. Since the multiphase hydrofomylation/aldol condensation system has already been studied, the first step was to develop the partial hydrogenation of unsaturated aldehydes together with a subsequent reductive amination. The rhodium/phosphine catalyst is immobilized in a polar polyethylene phase which separates from the product phase after the reaction. Reaction and catalyst recycling are demonstrated by the conversion of the C₁₄-aldehyde 2-pentylnonenal with the dimethylamine surrogate dimethylammonium dimethylcarbamate to the corresponding tertiary amine with yields up to 88 % and an average rhodium leaching of less than 0.1 % per recycling run. Furthermore, the positive influence of a Bronsted acid and carbon monoxide on the selectivity are discussed. Finally, the two PEG based systems have been merged in one recycling approach, by using the product phase of the hydroformylation aldol condensation reaction for the reductive amination reaction. The yields are stable during a nine recycling runs and the leaching low with 0.09 % over the two recycling stages.     

Base–Metal‐Catalyzed Regiodivergent Alkene Hydrosilylations

A complementary set of base metal catalysts has been developed for regiodivergent alkene hydrosilylations: iron complexes of phosphine‐iminopyridine are selective for anti‐Markovnikov hydrosilylations (linear/branched up to >99:1), while the cobalt complexes bearing the same type of ligands provide an unprecedented high level of Markovnikov selectivity (branched/linear up to >99:1). Both systems exhibit high efficiency and wide functional group tolerance.     

Rhodium‐Complex‐Catalyzed Hydroformylation of Olefins with CO2 and Hydrosilane

A rhodium‐catalyzed one‐pot hydroformylation of olefins with CO₂ , hydrosilane, and H₂ has been developed that affords the aldehydes in good chemoselectivities at low catalyst loading. Mechanistic studies indicate that the transformation is likely to proceed through a tandem sequence of poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) mediated CO₂ reduction to CO and a conventional rhodium‐catalyzed hydroformylation with CO/H₂. The hydrosilylane‐mediated reduction of CO₂ in preference to aldehydes was found to be crucial for the selective formation of aldehydes under the reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of novel poly(ethylene glycol)‐containing imidazolium‐functionalized phosphine ligands and their application in the hydrosilylation of olefins

A series of polyethylene glycol‐containing imidazolium‐functionalized phosphine ligands (mPEG‐im‐PPh₂) were successfully synthesized and used in the rhodium‐catalyzed hydrosilylation of olefins. The results indicate that the RhCl₃/mPEG‐im‐PPh₂ catalytic system exhibits both excellent activity and selectivity for the β‐adduct. In addition, the catalytic system may be recycled at least six times.     

Rhodium/bisphosphite catalytic system for hydroformylation of styrene and its derivatives

Different kinds of mono‐ and bidentate phosphite ligands were used in Rh‐catalyzed hydroformylation of styrene to illustrate the influence of steric and electronic properties of ligands on catalytic performance. High activity (99.9%) and good regioselectivity (85.4%) to the linear aldehyde were achieved under optimum conditions in the presence of Rh/bisphosphite complex (bisphosphite: 2,2′‐bis(dipyrrolylphosphinooxy)‐1,1′‐(±)‐binaphthyl). This system makes it possible to prepare functionalized terminal aldehydes from readily available styrene or its derivatives through hydroformylation with high linear selectivity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly regioselective hydroformylation of enamides with phosphite ligands

The regioselective hydroformylation of enamides with a catalyst derived from monodentate phosphites and Rh(acac)(CO)₂ was studied. In the hydroformylation of N-vinylphthalimide, all the biphenol-based ligands led to the branched aldehyde; the fastest reaction was observed when using a sterically bulky phosphite. The olefins (E)-N-propenylphthalimide, vinylpyrrolidone, vinylcaprolactam and vinylcarbazole were also investigated.