SummaryInsertions of carbon monoxide into transition metal-carbon bonds are among the most selective methods for the catalytic introduction of oxygen into organic compounds. A variety of processes are known today and most of them are of great industrial importance. Depending on the nature of the organic substrate, the catalyst and additional reaction components products range from aldehydes, alcohols, and acids to esters, anhydrides, acid chlorides, amides etc. An attempt is made here to show that all these reactions proceed by similar mechanisms.
General AspectsAmong the most selective methods to catalytically introduce oxygen into organic substrates are those involving carbon monoxide. In most cases, transition metal carbonyl complexes have been identified, or are assumed, as catalysts [e.g. HCo(CO)a, HRh(CO)(PR3) 3, Ni(CO)4].In general, these reactions involve the insertion of CO into a metal-carbon bond with subsequent decomposition of the acyl-metal complex by reaction with a nucleophilic substance having an active hydrogen (H-Y). The metal-carbon bond is formed by insertion of an olefin (or acetylene) into a metalhydride bond, or by oxidative addition of an alkyl halide (RX) to a coordmatively unsaturated metal species. These two routes are summarized here as Schemes 1 and 2, respectively. Scheme 2 includes substrates such as alcohols, ethers, esters, etc. In general, halide ions are required as cocatalysts: presumably RX is formed in situ from the substrate (RZ) and HX. The reaction products range from aldehydes, alcohols, acids, esters, to anhydrides, acid chlorides, amides, etc., depending on the nature of the substrate and the component HY (56).