The effects of the solvent and the ligand chirality on the regioselectivity of alkene oxidative esterification by PdII carboxylates

The effects of the solvent and the ligand chirality on the regioselectivity of oxidative esterification of propylene and cyclohexene by Pd^II carboxylates were studied using achiral (MeCO₂ ⁻, Me₂CHCH₂CO₂ ⁻), racemic ((±)-CF₃CF₂CF₂OC^*F(CF₃)CO₂ ⁻), and chiral ((S)−(+)−MeC^*H(Et)CO₂ ⁻, (+)−CF₃CF₂CF₂OC^*F(CF₃)CO₂ ⁻) carboxylate ligands. The oxidation of alkenes in aprotic media (CHCl₃, CH₂Cl₂, CO₂, THF) affords mainly allylic esters (in the case of cyclohexene also homoallylic esters) and the oxidative esterification at the vinylic position is absent. In weakly solvating media (CHCl₃, CH₂Cl₂) the regioselectivity of cyclohexene oxidation (the allyl to homoallyl ratio) increases substantially on going from achiral or racemic acido ligands to chiral acido ligands. In a more donor medium (THF) the ligand chirality effect almost vanishes. The effects of the ligand chirality and the nature of the solvent on the mechanism of alkene oxidation by Pd^II complexes are discussed. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1695–1703, September, 1999.