Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical, Vol.258, No.1-2, 334-340, 2006
Lightly fluorous [Pd(OAc)(2){P(C6H4-p-SiMe2CH2CH2C6F13)(3)}(2)] in the methoxycarbonylation of styrene: Format-ion, performance and stability of the catalyst system
The fluorous palladium(II) complex, [Pd(OAc)(2){P(C6H4-p-SiMe2CH2CH2C6F13)(3)}(2)], has been prepared and characterized. Its application in the catalytic methoxycarbonylation of styrene in an MeOH/CF3C6H5 mixture (1/1 v/v) has been explored and its activity was compared to that of [Pd(OAc)(2)(PPh3)(2)]. The fluorous complex showed a lower activity but a significantly higher selectivity towards the branched product. Investigation of both the conversion-versus-time and i:n ratio-versus-time profiles showed an unusual behaviour in the case of the fluorous complex, which has been ascribed to the formation of a dinuclear species for the fluorous complex. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.