Deuterium-labeling experiments relevant to the mechanism of platinum-catalyzed hydrogenation of (diolefin)dialkylplatinum(II) complexes: evidence for isotopic exchange via platinum surface hydrogen. The stereochemistry of reduction

Abstract

Reduction of (diolefin)dialkylplatinum(II) complexes with dihydrogen over a platinum black catalyst is accompanied by interchange of hydrogen among the organic groups and gaseous dihydrogen. Exchange of hydrogens between an alkane solvent and these organic groups also occurs during the reaction, but only relatively slowly. An examination of the stereochemistry of reduction of (norbornadiene)dimethylplatinum(II) with D/sub 2/ indicates that the deuterium atoms add predominantly to the same (endo) face of the olefins as that coordinated to the dimethylplatinum moiety. Reduction of uncomplicated norbornadiene under the same conditions yields norbornane having primarily exo C-D bonds. These experiments are compatible with a mechanism for the reduction involving adsorption of the (diolefin)dialkylplatinum(II) complex on the surface of the platinum catalyst via its platinum atom, conversion of the organic moieties of the soluble (diolefin)dialkylplatinum complex to platinum-surface alkyls, and interchange of hydrogen atoms between these surface alkyls via a mobile pool of platinum-surface hydrogen atoms. Combination of the surface alkyls with surface hydrogen yields alkanes in a final irreversible step. Comparison of the evidence from deuterium-interchange experiments conducted under mass transport limited and reaction rate limited conditions is consistent with the hypothesis that the concentrations of hydrogen on the platinum surface is lower under massmore » transport limited conditions.« less