Kinetics and mechanisms of homogeneous catalytic reactions: Part 13. Regioselective reduction of quinoline catalysed by Rh(acac)(CO)[P(tBu)(CH2CH=CH2)2

Abstract

The complex Rh(acac)(CO)[P(tBu)(CH2CH=CH2)2] (1) proved to be an efficient precatalyst for the regioselective hydrogenation of quinoline (Q) to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (THQ) under mild reaction conditions (125 °C and 4 atm H2). A kinetic study of this reaction led to the rate law: $$ r \, = \{ K_{1} k_{2} /(1 \, + \, K_{1} {\text{H}}_{ 2} )\} [{\text{Rh}}][{\text{H}}_{ 2} ]^{2} $$ which becomes $$ r \, = \, K_{1} k_{2} [{\text{Rh}}][{\text{H}}_{ 2} ]^{2} $$ at hydrogen pressures below 4 atm. The active catalytic species is the cationic complex {Rh(Q)2(CO)[P(tBu)(CH2CH=CH2)2]}+ (2). The mechanism involves the partial hydrogenation of one coordinated Q of (2) to yield a complex containing a 1,2-dihydroquinoline (DHQ) ligand, {Rh(DHQ)(Q)(CO)[P(tBu)(CH2CH=CH2)2]}+ (3), followed by hydrogenation of the DHQ ligand to give THQ and a coordinatively unsaturated species {Rh(Q)(CO)[P(tBu)(CH2CH=CH2)2]}+ (4); this reaction is considered to be the rate-determining step. Coordination of a new Q molecule to (4) regenerates the active species (2) and restarts the catalytic cycle.