The Catalytic Decarbonylation of Aldehydes
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THE CATALYTIC DECARBONYLATION OF ALDEHYDES USING IRON PORPHYRIN COMPLEXES By RAMESH M. BELANI B.Sc. (Hons.), BOMBAY UNIVERSITY, 1977 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA JULY 1985 © RAMESH M. BELANI, 1985 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of 1 The University of British Columbia 1956 Main Mall Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Y3 ii ABSTRACT The aim of this project was to investigate the use of iron porphyrin complexes as potential homogeneous catalysts for the decarbonylation of aldehydes. Complexes of the type Fe(TPP)L2 (where L = n-Bu3P, PPh3 or piperidine) were prepared and reacted with CO gas, or with aldehydes as sources of CO. Since the loss of coordinated CO from the Fe(TPP)(CO)(n-Bu3P) complex was more facile, the bis(n-Bu3P) phosphine system was studied in more detail. The X-ray structure of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 Is described, and this includes the first determination of an Fe^-P bond distance for a metalloporphyrin. The study using Fe(TPP)L2 complexes as decarbonylation catalysts was somewhat hindered by the extreme air-sensitivity of the porphyrin complexes in solution. UV/visible spectroscopy and gas chromatography were used to monitor the decarbonylation reactions. The reaction mixtures were analysed by GC/MS. The decarbonylation reactions were characterised by inconsistent turnover numbers and lack of reproducibility; during the decarbonylation of phenylacetaldehyde, bibenzyl was detected. Such factors are indicative of a free radical mechanism, similar to that proposed earlier for related Ru(II) porphyrin systems. The carbonylation of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 by CO gas was of interest with respect to the catalytic reaction, which must involve formation of a carbonyl complex. The reaction, K FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 + CO -» FeTPP(n-Bu3P)(CO) + n-Bu3P iii was found to have a K value of 0.72 at 29°C, while the temperature dependence of K was studied to obtain the thermodynamic parameters AS and AH for the equilibrium. iv Table of Contents ABSTRACT ii Table of Contents iv List of Figures • vii List of Tables x Table of Abbreviations xii Acknowledgements xiv Chapter I INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 General introduction 1 1.2 The choice of phosphine ligand 5 1.3 The use of metalloporphyrins in decarbonylation reactions 9 1.3.1 Ruthenium (II) porphyrin complexes 10 1.3.2 Mechanism of decarbonylation using the Ru(II)TPP(PPh3)2/n-Bu3P system 16 I. 3.2 Iron (II) porphyrin complexes 19 Chapter II EXPERIMENTAL 21 II. 1 Techniques 21 II.2 Gases 21 V 11.3 Solvents 22 11.4 Other chemicals 22 11.5 Spectroscopic measurements 23 11.6 Decarbonylation procedures 26 11.7 Tetraphenylporphyrin and complexes 27 11.8 Program for gas chromatographic analysis 32 II. 8.1 Turnover numbers 34 Chapter III STRUCTURE OF FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 35 III. l Structural analysis 35 111.2 X-ray structural analyses of metalloporphyrins .... 39 111.3 Characteristics of the Fe-Np bond distance 40 111.4 Characteristics of the M-L bond distance 45 111.4.1 Steric interactions 45 111.4.2 Degree of n-backbonding 48 111.4.3 Spin-state of metal ion 49 111.5 Model Fe-L (axial) bond distance of 6-coordinated low-spin Fe(II) tetraphenylporphyrin complexes .... 50 111.6 Conclusions 52 Chapter IV THE REACTION OF FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 WITH CO AND 02 53 IV. 1 Reaction with CO 53 IV. 1.1 Aldehydes as sources of CO 69 IV.2 Reaction of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 with 02 72 vi Chapter V THE CATALYTIC DECARBONYLATION OF ALDEHYDES USING FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 75 V.l Choice of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 75 V.2 Preliminary reactions with aldehydes 76 V.3 Factors influencing decarbonylation 81 V.3.1 Influence of added phosphine 81 V.3.2 Effect of CO 83 V.3.3 Effect of 02 83 V.3.4 Solvents 84 V.3.5 Varying the ratio of aldehyde to porphyrin ........ 87 V.3.6 Influence of temperature 88 V.3.7 Radical inhibitors 89 V.3.8 Rate of gas flushing 89 V.3.9 Control tests 90 V.4 Decarbonylation mechanism 90 V.4.1 The role of the phosphine ligand 94 V.5 Comparison of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 system with other decarbonylation systems 94 V.6 Conclusions 95 V.7 Suggestions for further studies 96 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 A molecular orbital picture of the bonding of a transition metal to CO and a phosphorus ligand 6 + Figure 1.2 Mechanism of decarbonylation using [Rh(P-P)2] as catalyst 8 Figure 1.3 Meso-tetraphenylporphyrin 10 Figure 1.4 Visible spectrum typical of solution no longer active for catalytic decarbonylation; that shown is for solution of Ru(TPP)(PPh3)2/(n-Bu3P) after decarbonylation of PhCH2CH0; ( ) same solution In presence of hydroquinone; inactive for decarbonylation 14 Figure 1.5 E.S.R. signals at liquid nitrogen temperature in 5:1 t CH2C12/CH3CN: A, Ru(TPP)(CO)( Bu2POH)/cyclohexen-4-al system; t B, the Ru(TPP)(CO)( Bu2POH)/pyridine-2-aldehyde system; C, the Ru(TPP)(PPh3)2/n-Bu3P/2-phenylacetaldehyde system ... 15 Figure 1.6 Proposed decarbonylation mechanism using Ru(TPP)(PPh3)2/ n-Bu3P system 18 Figure II.1 Evacuable cell for Optical Density Measurements 25 Figure III.l Stereoscopic view of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 structure 36 Figure III.2 A diagram illustrating the steric interactions of an axial ligand of a metalloporphyrin with the porphinato core. The dihedral angle <t> is between the plane of the ligand and the plane defined by porphinato nitrogen atom, the metal atom and the ligand nitrogen atom (N ) 45 viii Figure IV.1 UV/visible spectrum of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 in toluene (~ 10-ltM) 57 Figure IV.2 UV/visible spectrum of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 in toluene (~ I0~h M) + CO gas (0.5 - 1 atmosphere) 58 Figure IV.3 Spectral changes observed for the reaction FeTPP(C0)(n-Bu3P) + n-Bu3P ^ FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 +. CO at 29°C 59 Ao~As Figure IV.4 Plot of log (Ae_A ) versus log [n-Bu3P], 29°C. For the CO reaction FeTPP(CO)(n-Bu3P) + n-Bu3P -—* FeTPP(n-Bu,P)0 + CO 66 1 Figure IV.5 Van't Hoff plot, LnK versus T<imnpra,„rp 68 Figure IV.6 UV/visible changes observed after addition of aldehyde to FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 in toluene (or CH2C12). Spectral changes are reversible on vacuum pumping the optical cell 71 Figure IV.7 UV/visible spectrum of FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 in toluene (or CH2C12) after exposure to 02 73 Figure IV.8 UV/visible changes on addition of n-Bu3P to oxidised porphyrin solution shown in IV.7 74 Figure V.l GC trace for decarbonylation of phenylacetaldehyde (~ 10_3M) _1+ using FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 (~ 10 M) in refluxing CH2C12 (23°C) after 8 minutes 79 ix Figure V.2 GC trace of phenylacetaldehyde (~ 10-1 M) with 3 -4 FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 (~ 10" - 10 M) in refluxing CH2C12. Product collected in cold trap 80 Figure V.3 Bibenzyl detected during decarbonylation of phenylacetaldehyde. Identification by GC/MS and comparison with computerized MS library 86 Figure V.4 Tentative decarbonylation mechanism using FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 as catalyst 92 X LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Decarbonylation of aldehydes using a Ru(TPP)(PPh3)2/n-Bu3P catalyst system 12-13 Table II.1 GC retention times (mins) for standards using 0V101 column 32 Table II.2 GC retention times (mins) for standards using 0V17 column 33 Table III.l Bond lengths (A) in FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 with estimated standard deviations in parentheses 37 Table III.2 Bond angles (deg) in FeTPP(Bu3P)2 with estimated standard deviations in parentheses 38 Table III.3 AN^ values reported for iron porphyrin complexes 41-42 Table III.4 Fe-Np bond distances in Fe-tetraphenylporphyrins 43 Table III.5 M-L bond distance changes due to steric factors 47 Table IV.1 Data used to calculate equilibrium constant for the reaction FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 + CO —FeTPP(n-Bu3P)(CO) + (n-Bu3P) 60-65 Table IV.2 Values of [n-Bu3P] for log [Ae_^ 1 = 0, at 18-40°C 67 CD Table IV.3 Solubility of 1 atmosphere CO in toluene, corrected for vapor pressure of toluene 67 Table IV.4 Equilibrium constant (K) values for the reaction FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 + CO =~ FeTPP(C0)(n-Bu3P) + (n-Bu3P).. 67 xl Table IV.5 Equilibrium data for reaction of Fe and Ru porphyrin complexes with CO in toluene solvent. M( porphyrin)L2 + CO M(porphyrin)(CO)L + L 69 Table IV.6 Aldehydes used as source of CO. Time required to completely form CO adduct, hours. Reaction carried out in evacuated optical cell (Figure II.1) at 23°C. Carbonyl adduct formation confirmed by UV/visible spectrum. Completion checked by extinction coefficient 70 Table V.l Decarbonylation of aldehydes with FeTPP(n-Bu3P)2 in 30 ml CH2C12 at 24°C 78 Table V.2 Effect of excess phosphine on decarbonylation of benzaldehyde in 30 ml CH2C12 at 24°C 82 Table V.3 Effect of CO on decarbonylation of benzaldehyde in 30 ml CH2C12 at 24°C 83 Table V.4 Effect of varying ratio of aldehyde to porphyrin in 30 ml CH2C12 at 24°C; argon flush 88 Table V.5 Decarbonylation of phenylacetaldehyde at 40°C in 30 ml CH2C12; argon flush 88 xii TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS atm atmosphere A absorbance at any time, t Ae absorbance at the equilibrium position Ao absorbance of the reactant metalloporphyrin at time zero A absorbance of the metalloporphyrin product at the end CO of reaction CHjClj methylene chloride or dichloro methane CH3CN acetonitrile