Postcrosslinking of rhodium catalysts bound to polyacrylic acid: A useful technique to enhance and preserve catalytic activity

• Published in: Journal of catalysis 1985-01, Vol.96 (1), p.41-50
• Main Authors: Valentini, Giorgio, Sbrana, Glauco, Braca, Giuseppe, Da Prato, Paola
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Catalytic reactions; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; General. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Theory of reactions, general kinetics; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9517; 1090-2694
• DOI: 10.1016/0021-9517(85)90358-6

A significant improvement of the catalytic performance of triphenylphosphine polyacrylate Rh(I) complexes, prepared by reaction of RhH(PPh 3) 4 with atactic polyacrylic acid, has been attained by optimizing the preparative procedure (proper choice of reagent ratio and reaction medium) and by adding a crosslinking agent (hexamethylenediamine). The crosslinked systems, insoluble in the organic solvents, have been obtained in high yields and showed a catalytic activity for pent-1-ene hydrogenation and isomerization higher than that of a low-molecular-weight analog working in solution. These systems also show a remarkable catalytic stability and a very constant selectivity upon recycle. IR spectra of the catalysts and their carbonyl derivatives, obtained upon treatment in the solid state with CO, gave information about the nature of the different metal species present within the polymeric systems and explain the different catalytic behavior of the catalysts.