Scope and mechanism of the intermolecular addition of aromatic aldehydes to olefins catalyzed by Rh(I) olefin complexes.

Rhodium (I) bis-olefin complexes Cp*Rh(VTMS)(2) and CpRh(VTMS)(2) (Cp* = C(5)Me(5), Cp = C(5)Me(4)CF(3), VTMS = vinyl trimethylsilane) were found to catalyze the addition of aromatic aldehydes to olefins to form ketones. Use of the more electron-deficient catalyst CpRh(VTMS)(2) results in faster reaction rates, better selectivity for linear ketone products from alpha-olefins, and broader reaction scope. NMR studies of the hydroacylation of vinyltrimethylsilane showed that the starting Rh(I) bis-olefin complexes and the corresponding Cp*/Rh(CH(2)CH(2)SiMe(3))(CO)(Ar) complexes were catalyst resting states, with an equilibrium established between them prior to turnover. Mechanistic studies suggested that CpRh(VTMS)(2) displayed a faster turnover frequency (relative to Cp*Rh(VTMS)(2)) because of an increase in the rate of reductive elimination, the turnover-limiting step, from the more electron-deficient metal center of CpRh(VTMS)(2). Reaction of Cp*/Rh(CH(2)CH(2)SiMe(3))(CO)(Ar) with PMe(3) yields acyl complexes Cp*/Rh[C(O)CH(2)CH(2)SiMe(3)](PMe(3))(Ar); measured first-order rates of reductive elimination of ketone from these Rh(III) complexes established that the Cp ligand accelerates this process relative to the Cp* ligand.

Catalytic alkane metathesis by tandem alkane dehydrogenation-olefin metathesis.

With petroleum supplies dwindling, there is increasing interest in selective methods for transforming other carbon feedstocks into hydrocarbons suitable for transportation fuel. We report the development of highly productive, well-defined, tandem catalytic systems for the metathesis of n-alkanes. Each system comprises one molecular catalyst (a "pincer"-ligated iridium complex) that effects alkane dehydrogenation and olefin hydrogenation, plus a second catalyst (molecular or solid-phase) for olefin metathesis. The systems all show complete selectivity for linear (n-alkane) product. We report one example that achieves selectivity with respect to the distribution of product molecular weights, in which n-decane is the predominant high-molecular-weight product of the metathesis of two moles of n-hexane.

Kumada coupling of aryl and vinyl tosylates under mild conditions.

[Reaction: see text]. Aryl and alkenyl tosylates are easily prepared, inexpensive and, thus, attractive for transition-metal-catalyzed couplings, but their reactivity is low. We report examples of mild, palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl Grignard reagents with aryl and alkenyl tosylates. The resulting biaryls, vinylarenes, and alkylarenes were isolated in good to excellent yield. These couplings were conducted with a nearly equimolar ratio of the two reactants, and many examples were conducted at room temperature.

Directly observed reductive elimination of aryl halides from monomeric arylpalladium(II) halide complexes.

Monomeric, three-coordinate arylpalladium(II) halide complexes undergo reductive elimination of aryl halide to form free haloarene and Pd(0). Reductive elimination of aryl chlorides, bromides, and iodides were observed upon the addition of P(t-Bu)3 to Pd[P(t-Bu)3](Ar)(X) (X = Cl, Br, I). Conditions to observe the equilibrium between reductive elimination and oxidative addition were established with five haloarenes. Reductive elimination of aryl chloride was most favored thermodynamically, and elimination of aryl iodide was the least favored. However, reductive elimination from the aryl chloride complex was the slowest, and reductive elimination from the aryl bromide complex was the fastest. These data show that the electronic properties of the halide, not the thermodynamic driving force for the addition of elimination reaction, control the rates for addition and elimination of haloarenes. Mechanistic data suggest that reversible reductive elimination of aryl bromide to form Pd[P(t-Bu)3] and free aryl bromide is followed by rate-limiting coordination of P(t-Bu)3 to form Pd[P(t-Bu)3]2.

Oxidative addition of aryl tosylates to palladium(0) and coupling of unactivated aryl tosylates at room temperature.

Aryl tosylates are attractive substrates for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, but they are much less reactive than the more commonly used aryl triflates. We report the oxidative addition of aryl tosylates to Pd(PPF-t-Bu)[P(o-tolyl)3] and to Pd(CyPF-t-Bu)[P(o-tolyl)3] at room temperature to produce the corresponding palladium(II) aryl tosylate complexes. In the presence of added bromide ions, arylpalladium(II) bromide complexes were formed. The rate of oxidative addition was accelerated by addition of either coordinating or weakly coordinating anions, and the reactions were faster in more polar solvents. The mild conditions for oxidative addition allowed for the development of Pd-catalyzed Kumada couplings and amination reactions of unactivated aryl tosylates at room temperature. The catalysts for these mild couplings of aryl tosylates were generated from palladium precursors and the sterically hindered Josiphos-type ligands that induced oxidative addition of aryl tosylates to Pd(0) at room temperature.