Catalytic alkane dehydrogenation is a reaction with tremendous potential for application. We describe a highly active PSCOP‐pincer iridium catalyst for transfer dehydrogenation of cyclic and linear alkanes. The dehydrogenation of linear alkanes occurs under relatively mild conditions with high regioselectivity for α‐olefin formation. In addition, the catalyst system is very effective in the dehydrogenation of heterocycles to form heteroarenes and olefinic products.
The conversion of inexpensive, saturated hydrocarbon feedstocks into value-added speciality chemicals using regiospecific, catalytic functionalization of alkanes is a major goal of organometallic chemistry. Linear alkylsilanes represent one such speciality chemical-they have a wide range of applications, including release coatings, silicone rubbers and moulding products. Direct, selective, functionalization of alkanes at primary C-H bonds is difficult and, to date, methods for catalytically converting alkanes into linear alkylsilanes are unknown. Here, we report a well-defined, dual-catalyst system for one-pot, two-step alkane silylations. The system comprises a pincer-ligated Ir catalyst for alkane dehydrogenation and an Fe catalyst that effects a subsequent tandem olefin isomerization-hydrosilylation. This method exhibits exclusive regioselectivity for the production of terminally functionalized alkylsilanes. This dual-catalyst strategy has also been applied to regioselective alkane borylations to form linear alkylboronate esters.
A unique Ir complex ( NC P)Ir with the pyridine-phosphine pincer as the sole ligand, featuring a dual agostic interaction between the Ir and two σ C-H bonds from a tBu substituent, has been prepared. This complex exhibits exceptionally high activity and excellent regio- and stereoselectivity for monoisomerization of 1-alkenes to trans-2-alkenes with wide functional-group tolerance. Reactions can be performed in neat reactant on a more than 100 gram scale using 0.005 mol % catalyst loadings with turnover numbers up to 19000.
Iridium complexes of novel NCP pincer ligands containing pyridine and phosphinite arms have been synthesized. One Ir complex shows good catalytic activity for alkane dehydrogenation, and all complexes are highly active for olefin isomerization. A combination of the Ir complex and a (PNN)Fe pincer complex catalyzes the formation of linear alkylboronates selectively from internal olefins via sequential olefin isomerization-hydroboration.
Catalytic α-alkylation of esters with primary alcohols is a desirable process because it uses low-toxicity agents and generates water as the by-product. Reported herein is a NCP pincer/Ir catalyst which is highly efficient for α-alkylation of a broad scope of unactivated esters under mild reaction conditions. For the first time, alcohols alkylate unactivated α-substituted acyclic esters, lactones, and even methyl and ethyl acetates. This method can be applied to the synthesis of carboxylic acid derivatives with diverse structures and functional groups, some of which would be impossible to access by conventional enolate alkylations with alkyl halides.
The synthesis and characterization of 10‐(dimesitylboryl)‐N,N‐di‐p‐tolylbenzo[c]phenanthren‐4‐amine (3‐B(Mes)2‐[4]helix‐9‐N(p‐Tol)2 1) and 13‐(dimesitylboryl)‐N,N‐di‐p‐tolyldibenzo[c,g]phenanthren‐8‐amine (3‐B(Mes)2‐[5]helix‐12‐N(p‐Tol)2 2) are reported herein. Their electrochemical and photophysical properties have been studied experimentally and theoretically. The donor and acceptor‐substituted helicene derivatives exhibit moderate fluorescence quantum yields in THF (Φf=0.48 and 0.61 for 1 and 2, respectively), which are higher than unsubstituted ones (Φf=0.18 for [4]helicene; Φf<0.05 for [n]helicenes (n≥5)). In the solid state, the Φf values are higher (Φf=1.00 and 0.55 for 1 and 2, respectively) than those in solution, most likely due to the restrictions of molecular motions. The S1←S0 transitions of 1 and 2 are predominately HOMO→LUMO transitions. Upon excitation with UV light, the interplanar angle between the two terminal aryl rings of the [5]helix core of 2 decreases (S1 state compared with S0 state), which is similar to placing a spring under an external force.
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