Detlef Selent

N-heterocyclic carbenes which readily add ammonia, carbon monoxide and other small molecules,

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are extremely valuable as nucleophilic organocatalysts. They are widely applied as ligands in transition-metal catalysed reactions, where they are known as particularly potent σ-donors. They are commonly viewed as workhorses exhibiting reliable, but undramatic, chemical behaviour. The N → Ccarbene π-donation stabilises NHCs at the expense of low reactivity towards nucleophiles. In contrast to NHCs, stable (alkyl)(amino)carbenes exhibit spectacular reactivity, allowing, for example, the splitting of hydrogen and ammonia and the fixation of carbon monoxide. NHCs have been judged to be electronically not suitable for showing similar reactivity. Here, we demonstrate that a ferrocene-based NHC is able to add ammonia, methyl acrylate, tert-butyl isocyanide, and carbon monoxide—reactions typical of (alkyl)(amino)carbenes, but unprecedented for diaminocarbenes. We also show that even the simplest stable diaminocarbene, C(NiPr2)2, adds CO. This reaction affords a β-lactam by a subsequent intramolecular process involving a C–H activation. Our results shed new light on the chemistry of diaminocarbenes and offer great potential for synthetic chemistry and catalysis.

Calix[4]arene‐based Bis‐phosphonites, Bis‐phosphites, and Bis‐O‐acyl‐phosphites as Ligands in the Rhodium(I)‐catalyzed Hydroformylation of 1‐Octene

New calix[4]arene-based bis-phosphonites, bis-phosphites and bis-O-acylphosphites were synthesized and characterized. Treatment of these P-ligands with selected rhodium and platinum precursors led to mononuclear complexes that were satisfactorily characterized. The solid state structure of the dirhodium(I) complex 14 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The two rhodium centres are bridged by two chloro ligands; one rhodium atom is further coordinated by calix[4]arene phosphorus atoms and the other by cyclooctadiene. The new calix[4]arene P-ligands were tested in the Rh(I) catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-octene. All Rh(I) complexes catalyzed the reaction leading to high chemoselectivity with regard to the formation of aldehydes. Yields and n/iso-selectivities depended on the reaction conditions. Average yields of 80 % and n/iso-ratios of about 1.3 to 1.5 were observed. High yields of aldehydes can be achieved using the methoxy substituted P-ligands at low Rh:ligand ratios. Auf Calix[4]arenen basierende Bis-phosphonite, Bis-phosphite und Bis-O-acyl-phosphite als Liganden in der rhodium(I)-katalysierten Hydroformylierung von 1-Octen Neue auf Calix[4]arenen basierende Bis-phosphonite, Bis-phosphite und Bis-O-acyl-phosphite wurden synthetisiert und charakterisiert. Die Umsetzung dieser Phosphorliganden mit ausgewahlten Rhodium- und Platinvorstufen fuhrte zu mononuklearen Komplexen, die vollstandig charakterisiert wurden. Durch eine Rontgenstrukturanalyse konnte die Struktur des Dirhodium( I)-Komplexes 14 im festen Zustand bestimmt werden. Die beiden Rhodiumzentren sind durch zwei Chlorliganden verbruckt, wobei das eine Rhodiumatom an die Phosphoratome des Calix[4]-arens und das andere Rhodiumatom durch das Cyclooctadien koordiniert ist. Die neuartigen phosphorhaltigen Calix[4]aren-Liganden wurden in der Rhodium(I)-katalysierten Hydroformylierung von 1-Octen getestet. Alle Rh(I)-Komplexe katalysierten die Reaktion bei hoher Chemoselektivitat, bezogen auf die Bildung von Aldehyden. Ausbeuten und n/iso-Selektivitaten waren dabei von den Reaktionsbedingungen abhangig. Durchschnittliche Ausbeuten von 80 % und n/iso-Verhaltnisse von 1.3 bis 1.5 wurden beobachtet. Hohe Ausbeuten an Aldehyden bei geringen Rhodium:Ligand-Verhaltnissen konnten durch den Einsatz von methoxysubstituierten Phosphorliganden erzielt werden.

Development of a Ruthenium/Phosphite Catalyst System for Domino Hydroformylation–Reduction of Olefins with Carbon Dioxide

An efficient domino ruthenium-catalyzed reverse water-gas-shift (RWGS)-hydroformylation-reduction reaction of olefins to alcohols is reported. Key to success is the use of specific bulky phosphite ligands and triruthenium dodecacarbonyl as the catalyst. Compared to the known ruthenium/chloride system, the new catalyst allows for a more efficient hydrohydroxymethylation of terminal and internal olefins with carbon dioxide at lower temperature. Unwanted hydrogenation of the substrate is prevented. Preliminary mechanism investigations uncovered the homogeneous nature of the active catalyst and the influence of the ligand and additive in individual steps of the reaction sequence.

Exploring Between the Extremes: Conversion‐Dependent Kinetics of Phosphite‐Modified Hydroformylation Catalysis

The kinetics of the hydroformylation of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene with a rhodium monophosphite catalyst has been studied in detail. Time-dependent concentration profiles covering the entire olefin conversion range were derived from in situ high-pressure FTIR spectroscopic data for both, pure organic components and catalytic intermediates. These profiles fit to Michaelis-Menten-type kinetics with competitive and uncompetitive side reactions involved. The characteristics found for the influence of the hydrogen concentration verify that the pre-equilibrium towards the catalyst substrate complex is not established. It has been proven experimentally that the hydrogenolysis of the intermediate acyl complex remains rate limiting even at high conversions when the rhodium hydride is the predominant resting state and the reaction is nearly of first order with respect to the olefin. Results from in situ FTIR and high-pressure (HP) NMR spectroscopy and from DFT calculations support the coordination of only one phosphite ligand in the dominating intermediates and a preferred axial position of the phosphite in the electronically saturated, trigonal bipyramidal (tbp)-structured acyl rhodium complex.

A fast polygon inflation algorithm to compute the area of feasible solutions for three-component systems. I: concepts and applications

The multicomponent factorization of multivariate data often results in nonunique solutions. The so‐called rotational ambiguity paraphrases the existence of multiple solutions that can be represented by the area of feasible solutions (AFS). The AFS is a bounded set that may consist of isolated subsets. The numerical computation of the AFS is well understood for two‐component systems and is an expensive numerical process for three‐component systems. In this paper, a new fast and accurate algorithm is suggested that is based on the inflation of polygons. Starting with an initial triangle located in a topologically connected subset of the AFS, an automatic extrusion algorithm is used to form a sequence of growing polygons that approximate the AFS from the interior. The polygon inflation algorithm can be generalized to systems with more than three components. The efficiency of this algorithm is demonstrated for a model problem including noise and a multicomponent chemical reaction system. Further, the method is compared with the recent triangle‐boundary‐enclosing scheme of Golshan, Abdollahi, and Maeder (Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 836–841). Copyright

A Comparative In Situ HP-FTIR Spectroscopic Study of Bi- and Monodentate Phosphite-Modified Hydroformylation

The rhodium‐catalyzed phosphite‐modified hydroformylation of 3,3‐dimethyl‐1‐butene is comparatively studied for a bidentate and a monodentate phosphite using in situ high‐pressure (HP) FTIR spectroscopy and GC analysis. With the bidentate ligand at 70 °C, a pseudo‐first‐order reaction with respect to the olefin takes place, with the pentacoordinate hydrido complex being the only detectable intermediate during the reaction. In contrast, for the monodentate ligand, a zeroth‐ to pseudo‐first‐order shift is characteristic with the major intermediate for this system subsequently changing from the coordinatively saturated acyl complex to the respective hydrido complex already at low conversions. Application of the PCD (pure component decomposition) algorithm to the reaction spectra affords the concentration versus time profiles of these intermediates, providing proof that the reaction rate remains controlled by rhodium acyl hydrogenolysis even at medium to high olefin conversions when the corresponding hydrido complex is the major organometallic component. If the reaction is carried out at a temperature of 30 °C in neat olefin, results from both GC and HP‐FTIR verify an intermediate regime of saturation kinetics and also the presence of an acyl complex at low olefin conversions for the diphosphite. Initial turnover frequencies of 237 h−1 and 1040 h−1 are obtained for the mono‐ and the diphosphite, respectively, at 30 °C, which implies an intrinsically faster hydrogenolysis of the diphosphite‐derived acyl rhodium complex at this low temperature.

Model-free multivariate curve resolution combined with model-based kinetics: algorithm and applications

Multivariate curve resolution techniques are powerful tools to extract from sequences of spectra of a chemical reaction system the number of independent chemical components, their associated spectra, and the concentration profiles in time. Usually, these solutions are not unique because of the so‐called rotational ambiguity.

Secondary Phosphane Oxides as Preligands in Rhodium‐Catalyzed Hydroformylation

Four aryl‐substituted secondary phosphane oxides (SPOs) were tested as preligands in the rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation of cyclohexene and 1‐octene. Three of them form active hydroformylation catalysts through their phosphinous acid tautomers. n‐Regioselectivities of up to 56 % were achieved in the reaction with the linear olefin. The catalytic system with the electron‐poor SPO showed exceptional behavior. In situ high‐pressure IR spectroscopic investigations accompanied by DFT calculations provide an explanation of the observed inhibition of the catalytic reaction. Furthermore, proof is given that noncoordinated SPOs readily react with product aldehydes at room temperature to form α‐hydroxyphosphinic acids. In contrast Rh‐catalyzed hydrophosphination did not take place.

Chiral pyrophosphites—synthesis and application as ligands in Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation

Abstract Enantiopure pyrophosphites have been prepared for the first time based upon two independent synthetic pathways. The new ligands based on binaphthols, which are remarkably stable towards oxidation, were tested in the Rh(I)-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of functionalized olefins, where up to 70% ee could be achieved.

An Operando FTIR Spectroscopic and Kinetic Study of Carbon Monoxide Pressure Influence on Rhodium-Catalyzed Olefin Hydroformylation

The influence of carbon monoxide concentration on the kinetics of the hydroformylation of 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene with a phosphite-modified rhodium catalyst has been studied for the pressure range p(CO)=0.20-3.83 MPa. Highly resolved time-dependent concentration profiles of the organometallic intermediates were derived from IR spectroscopic data collected in situ for the entire olefin-conversion range. The dynamics of the catalyst and organic components are described by enzyme-type kinetics with competitive and uncompetitive inhibition reactions involving carbon monoxide taken into account. Saturation of the alkyl-rhodium intermediates with carbon monoxide as a cosubstrate occurs between 1.5 and 2 MPa of carbon monoxide pressure, which brings about a convergence of aldehyde regioselectivity. Hydrogenolysis of the acyl intermediate is fast at 30 °C and low pressure of p(CO)=0.2 MPa, but is of minus first order with respect to the solution concentration of carbon monoxide. Resting 18-electron hydrido and acyl complexes that correspond to early and late rate-determining states, respectively, coexist as long as the conversion of the substrate is not complete.