Ketone Hydrogenation with Iridium Complexes with “non N–H” Ligands: The Key Role of the Strong Base

Ferrocenyl phosphine thioether ligands (PS), not containing deprotonatable functions, efficiently support the iridium catalyzed ketone hydrogenation in combination with a strong base co-catalyst. Use of an internal base ([Ir(OMe)(COD)]2 in place of [IrCl(COD)]2) is not sufficient to insure activity and a strong base is still necessary, suggesting that the active catalyst is an anionic hydride complex. Computational investigations that include solvent effects demonstrate the thermodynamically accessible generation of the tetrahydrido complex [IrH4(PS)]-and suggest an operating cycle via a [Na+(MeOH)3∙∙∙Ir-H4(PS)] contact ion pair with an energy span of 18.2 kcal/mol. The cycle involves an outer sphere stepwise H-/H+ transfer, the proton originating from H2 after coordination and heterolytic activation. The base plays the dual role of generating the anionic complex and providing the Lewis acid co-catalyst for ketone activation. The best cycle for the neutral system, on the other hand, requires an energy span of 26.3 kcal/mol. This work highlights, for the first time, the possibility of outer sphere hydrogenation in the presence of non deprotonatable ligands and the role of the strong base in the activation of catalytic systems with such type of ligands

1-(Diphenyl­phosphinothio­yl)-2-[(4-methyl­phen­yl)meth­oxy­meth­yl]ferrocene

Following our continuing inter­est in developing new chiral phosphine-containing ferrocenyl ligands, we synthesized the title compound, [Fe(C5H5)(C26H24OPS)], in which there are two nearly identical mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The conformation of the cyclo­penta­dienyl (Cp) rings in each ferrocenyl group are inter­mediate between eclipsed and staggered, with twist angles of 16.6 (2) and 8.9 (2)°. The protecting S atom is located endo with respect to the substituted Cp ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected through inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions

rac-{[2-(Diphenyl­thio­phosphor­yl)ferrocen­yl]meth­yl}dimethyl­ammonium diphenyl­dithio­phosphinate

2-(Diphenyl­thio­phosphino)dimethyl­amino­methyl­ferrocene is a key inter­mediate in the synthesis of various ferrocenyl ligands. During one such synthesis, the title compound, [Fe(C5H5)(C20H22NPS)](C12H10PS2), was isolated as a by-product. It is built up by association of (2-(diphenyl­phosphino)ferrocen­yl)meth­yl)dimethyl­ammonium cations and diphenyl­phosphino dithio­ate anions. N—H⋯S, C—H⋯S and C—H⋯π inter­actions link the anions and cations. Each anion–cation pair is linked two by two through C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming pseudo dimers

Spectroscopic characterisation of hydroxyapatite and nanocrystalline apatite with grafted aminopropyltriethoxysilane: nature of silane–surface interaction

Heterogenised homogeneous catalysis is commonly performed with molecular catalysts grafted on solids via adsorption or via a covalent molecular link. Covalent grafting of organic groups on solid supports is usually carried out by silylation, using functionalised trialkoxysilanes. Among these solids supports, very few studies have been published on apatites. In the present work,aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) grafting was performed in toluene on different apatitic supports: crystallised stoichiometric hydroxyapatites differing by the drying method, freeze-dried (HAP) and dried at 100 °C (HAPD), and a nanocrystalline apatite. All materials were fully characterised, before and after grafting, for better understanding of the nature of the alkoxysilane/surface interaction. The data show a clear competition between the covalent grafting of APTES and its polycondensation reaction, depending on the nature of the solid support surface. Silylation is accompanied by APTES covalent grafting to oxygen atom of the hydroxyl groups of the apatitic structure and/or of the OH− species that are present on the surface hydrated layer. This work clarifies the nature of silane grafting onto selected apatitic surfaces and especially the influence of the composition and properties of the apatitic surfaces on the process of silylation

Amphiphilic core-cross-linked micelles functionalized with bis(4-methoxyphenyl)phenylphosphine as catalytic nanoreactors for biphasic hydroformylation

Core-cross-linked micelles (CCM) functionalized at the core with covalently linked bis(p-methoxyphenyl) phenylphosphine (BMOPPP) ligands have been synthesized by a three-step one-pot radical polymerization in emulsion, using the polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) strategy and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) as the controlling method. The CCM are obtained by chain extending in water poly(methacrylic acid-co-poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate) (P(MAA-co-PEOMA), degree of polymerization of 30, MAA/PEOMA units molar ratio of 50:50) synthesized in a first step by RAFT with a 95:5 M mixture of styrene and 4-[bis(p-methoxyphenyl)phosphino]styrene (BMOPPS) units. The resulting micelles exhibiting a core composed of P(S-co-BMOPPS) segments with a degree of polymerization of 300 are then crosslinked in a third step with a mixture of di(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (DEGDMA) and styrene. The resulting BMOPPP@CCM exhibit a narrow size distribution (PDI = 0.16) with an average diameter of 81 nm in water and swell in THF or by addition of toluene to the latex. The addition of [Rh(acac) (CO)2] to the toluene-swollen latex results in metal coordination to the phosphine ligands. 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy shows that the Rh centers undergo rapid intraparticle phosphine ligand exchange. Application of these nanoreactors to the aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene shows excellent activity and moderate catalyst leaching

Hemilability of phosphine-thioether ligands coordinated to trinuclear Mo3S4 cluster and its effect on hydrogenation catalysis

Ligand-exchange reactions of [Mo3S4(tu)8(H2O)]Cl44H2O (tu = thiourea) with (PhCH2CH2)2PCH2CH2SR ligands, where R = Ph (PS1), pentyl (PS2) or Pr (PS3) afford new complexes isolated as [Mo3S4Cl3(PS1)3]PF6 ([1]PF6), [Mo3S4Cl3(PS2)3]PF6 ([2]PF6) and [Mo3S4Cl3(PS3)3]PF6 ([3]PF6) salts in 30-50% yields as the major reaction products. The crystal structures of [1]PF6 and [2]PF6 were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Each of the three phosphine-thioether ligands is coordinated in a bidentate chelating mode to a different molybdenum atom of the Mo3S4 trinuclear cluster, herewith all the phosphorus atoms of the phosphino-thioether ligand are located trans to the capping sulfur (3-S). A second product that forms in the reaction of [Mo3S4(tu)8(H2O)]Cl44H2O with PS1 corresponds to the neutral [Mo3S4Cl4(PS1)2(PS1*)] complex. Its XRD analysis reveals both bidentate (PS1) and monodentate (PS1*) coordinating modes of the same ligand. In the latter mode the phosphinethioether is coordinated to a Mo atom only via the P atom. All compounds were characterized by 1H, 31P{1H} NMR, electrospray-ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Reactions of [1]PF6, [2]PF6 and [3]PF6 with an excess of Bu4NCl in CD2Cl2 were followed by 31P{1H} NMR. The spectra indicate equilibrium between cationic [Mo3S4Cl3(PSn)3] + and neutral [Mo3S4Cl4(PSn)2(PSn*)] (n = 1, 2) species. The equilibrium constants were determined as 2.5 ± 0.2103 , 43 ± 2 М -1 and 30 ± 2 М -1 (at 25°C) for [1]PF6, [2]PF6 and [3]PF6, indicating quantitative differences in hemilabile behavior of the phosphino-thioether ligands, depending on the substituent at sulfur. Clusters [1]PF6, [2]PF6 and [3]PF6 were tested as catalysts in reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline with Ph2SiH2 under mild conditions. Significant differencies in the catalytic activity were observed, which can be attributed to different hemilabile behavior of the PS1 and PS2/PS3 ligands

IrI(η4-diene) precatalyst activation by strong bases: formation of an anionic IrIII tetrahydride

The reaction between [IrCl(COD)]2 and dppe in a 1:2 ratio was investigated in detail under three different conditions. [IrCl(COD)(dppe)], 1, is formed at room temperature in the absence of base. In the presence of a strong base at room temperarture, hydride complexes that retain the carbocyclic ligand in the coordination sphere are generated. In isopropanol, 1 is converted into [IrH(1,2,5,6-η2:η2-COD)(dppe)] (2) on addition of KOtBu, with k12 = (1.11±0.02)·10-4 s-1, followed by reversible isomerisation to [IrH(1-κ-4,5,6-η3-C8H12)(dppe)] (3) with k23 = (3.4±0.2)·10-4 s-1 and k32 = (1.1±0.3)·10-5 s-1 to yield an equilibrium 5:95 mixture of 2 and 3. However, when no hydride source is present in the strong base (KOtBu in benzene or toluene), the COD ligand in 1 is deprotonated, followed by β-H elimination of an IrI-C8H11 intermediate, which leads to complex [IrH(1-κ-4,5,6-η3-C8H10)(dppe)] (4) selectively. This is followed by its reversible isomerisation to 5, which features a different relative orientation of the same ligands (k45 = (3.92±0.11)·10-4 s-1; k54 = (1.39±0.12)·10-4 s-1 in C6D6), to yield an equilibrated 32:68 mixture of 4 and 5. DFT calculations assisted in the full rationalization of the selectivity and mechanism of the reactions, yielding thermodynamic (equilibrium) and kinetic (isomerization barriers) parameters in excellent agreement with the experimental values. Finally, in the presence of KOtBu and isopropanol at 80 °C, 1 is tranformed selectively to K[IrH4(dppe)] (6), a salt of an anionic tetrahydride complex of IrIII. This product is also selectively generated from 2, 3, 4 and 5 and H2 at room temperature, but only when a strong base is present. These results provide an insight into the catalytic action of [IrCl(LL)(COD)] complexes in the hydrogenation of polar substrates in the presence of a base

Mass transfer assessment and kinetic investigation of biphasic catalytic systems

Efficient catalyst recovery and recycling is still a major challenge for the development of homogeneous catalysis. In the 80’s, the concept of biphasic catalysis, in which the catalyst is confined into a solvent immiscible with the products, has opened new perspectives for transition metal complex driven homogeneous catalysis, after the industrial success of the Ruhrchemie/Rhone-Poulenc process operating the rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of propene in water. However, the low solubility of long-chain a-olefins has limited the scope of hydrosoluble catalysts for this reaction. To overcome this problem, various strategies have been developed since then, which consist in replacing water by a more suitable solvent or using additives/ligands able to increase the substrate solubility or create a favorable microenvironment in the aqueous phase. Apart from the screening/tailoring of solvent and ligand, the determination of an adequate kinetic model and the assessment of the mass transfer role is of great importance for the design and optimization of the multiphase reaction system. This presentation gives an account of collaborative works between chemical engineering and chemistry teams to address these issues for two different biphasic catalysis approaches: catalyst immobilization in ionic liquids and use of amphiphilic polymer ligands. The hydroformylation of oct-1-ene by rhodium complexes was selected as model reaction for the developed methodology. This includes the thermodynamic study of the complex reaction medium (gas-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria), the thorough investigation of the effect of process parameters to evaluate the location of the catalytic act and the interfacial mass transfer resistance, the discrimination and identification of intrinsic kinetic models (derived from elementary reaction steps) and their coupling with (gas-liquid) mass transfer under low stirring conditions. In the first example, the role of the ionic liquids as solvents for biphasic catalysis was specified, by characterizing the solubility of both gaseous and organic substrates, and a detailed kinetic model was able to accurately describe the time-concentration profiles of reactants and products (1-octene,internal octenes, n-nonanal and branched aldehydes) measured in the organic phase. TOF values could be further improved (up to 560 h-1) by supporting the ionic liquid phase onto a silica gel support. In the second example, the proof of concept of cross-linked micelles as efficient supports for aqueous phase catalysis was established, demonstrating that the reaction occurs within the nano-objects with fast exchange with the organic phase. The study also provided clues for their optimization: a low functionalization degree and a nanogel structure embedding the phosphine moieties were proved to improve the catalytic activity and reduce the metal leaching, respectively. These innovative ligands yielded TOF in the range of 350 to 650 h-1 and linear/branched aldehyde ratios between 3 and 6. The Rh loss could be reduced to 0.1 ppm with adequate pH and temperature conditions

Core-shell nanoreactors for efficient aqueous biphasic catalysis

Water-borne phosphine-functionalized core-cross-linked micelles (CCM) consisting of a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell were obtained as stable latexes by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) in water in a one-pot, three-step process. Initial homogeneous aqueous-phase copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) and poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate (PEOMA) is followed by copolymerization of styrene (S) and 4-diphenylphosphinostyrene (DPPS), yielding P(MAA-co-PEOMA)-b-P(S-co-DPPS) amphiphilic block copolymer micelles (M) by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), and final micellar cross-linking with a mixture of S and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The CCM were characterized by dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopy to evaluate size, dispersity, stability, and the swelling ability of various organic substrates. Coordination of [Rh(acac)(CO)2 ] (acac=acetylacetonate) to the core-confined phosphine groups was rapid and quantitative. The CCM and M latexes were then used, in combination with [Rh(acac)(CO)2 ], to catalyze the aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene, in which they showed high activity, recyclability, protection of the activated Rh center by the polymer scaffold, and low Rh leaching. The CCM latex gave slightly lower catalytic activity but significantly less Rh leaching than the M latex. A control experiment conducted in the presence of the sulfoxantphos ligand pointed to the action of the CCM as catalytic nanoreactors with substrate and product transport into and out of the polymer core, rather than as a surfactant in interfacial catalysis

Core phosphine-functionalized amphiphilic nanogels as catalytic nanoreactors for aqueous biphasic hydroformylation

Amphiphilic phosphine-functionalized nanogel particles were synthesized by aqueous polymerization induced self-assembly insuring a well-defined architecture as well as a narrow size distribution (average diameter of ca. 90 nm in water). They were successfully applied as ligands for the biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene catalyzed by rhodium, yielding TOFs in the 350–650 h-1 range and a linear to branched aldehyde ratio of 3.5. Embedding the phosphine ligands within a cross-linked structure did not strongly impede mass transfer toward the active centers, as proved by fast metal coordination and a catalytic activity tantamount to that of higher chain mobility micelles or core-cross-linked micelles that have phosphine moieties located on flexible linear arms. However, this extended cross-linking reduced particle swelling and transfer to the organic phase, affording a significantly lowered Rh loss. For all the architectures, a low functionalization degree was preferable to achieve high activity, the selectivity remaining essentially unchanged