2 research outputs found
Some Singular Features of Gold Catalysis: Protection of Gold(I) Catalysts by Substoichiometric Agents and Associated Phenomena
This study deals with two striking
phenomena: the complete protection
against decomposition of hypothetically monocoordinated Au<sup>I</sup> intermediates [AuL]Y (L = strongly coordinating ligand; Y<sup>ā</sup> = poorly coordinating anion) by addition of small substoichiometric
amounts (5 mol % relative to Au) of not strongly coordinating ligands
(e.g., AsPh<sub>3</sub>) and the fact that, in contrast, strongly
coordinating ligands cannot provide this substoichiometric protection.
The two phenomena are explained considering that (i) the existence
of real monocoordinated [AuL]Y is negligible in condensed phases and
the kinetically efficient existing species are dicoordinated [AuLĀ(W)]ĀY
(W = any very weakly coordinating ligand existing in solution, including
OH<sub>2</sub>, the solvent, or the Y<sup>ā</sup> anion) and
(ii) these [AuLĀ(W)]Y intermediates give rise to decomposition by a
disproportionation mechanism, via polynuclear intermediates formed
by associative oligomerization with release of some W ligands. It
is also shown that very small concentrations of [AuLĀ(W)]Y are still
catalytically efficient and can be stabilized by overstoichiometric
adventitious water, so that full decomposition of the catalyst is
hardly reached, although eventually the stabilized concentration can
be kinetically inefficient for the catalysis. These results suggest
that, in cases of gold catalysis requiring the use of a significant
quantity of gold catalyst, the turnover numbers can be increased or
the concentration of gold catalyst widely reduced, using substoichiometric
protection properly tuned to the case
Pt<sup>II</sup>-Catalyzed Hydrophenylation of Ī±āOlefins: Variation of Linear/Branched Products as a Function of Ligand Donor Ability
The Pt<sup>II</sup> complexes [(<sup><i>x</i></sup>bpy)ĀPtĀ(Ph)Ā(THF)]<sup>+</sup> (<sup><i>x</i></sup>bpy = 4,4ā²-X<sub>2</sub>-2,2ā²-bipyridyl; <i>x</i> = OMe (<b>1a</b>), <sup><i>t</i></sup>Bu (<b>1b</b>), H (<b>1c</b>), Br (<b>1d</b>),
CO<sub>2</sub>Et (<b>1e</b>) and NO<sub>2</sub> (<b>1f</b>)] catalyze the formation of <i>n</i>-propylbenzene and
cumene from benzene and propene. The catalysts
are selective for branched products, and the cumene/<i>n</i>-propylbenzene ratio decreases with increasing donor ability of the <sup><i>x</i></sup>bpy ligand. DFTĀ(D) calculations predict more
favorable activation barriers for 1,2-insertion into the PtāPh
bond to give branched products. The calculations indicate that 1,2-insertion
of propene should be faster than 2,1-insertion for all PtĀ(II) catalysts
studied, but they also indicate that cumene/<i>n</i>-propylbenzene
selectivity is under CurtināHammett control