Domino rhodium/palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation reactions of alcohols to acids by hydrogen transfer to inactivated alkenes.

The combination of the d(8) Rh(I) diolefin amide [Rh(trop(2)N)(PPh(3))] (trop(2)N=bis(5-H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5-yl)amide) and a palladium heterogeneous catalyst results in the formation of a superior catalyst system for the dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols. The overall process represents a mild and direct method for the synthesis of aromatic and heteroaromatic carboxylic acids for which inactivated olefins can be used as hydrogen acceptors. Allyl alcohols are also applicable to this coupling reaction and provide the corresponding saturated aliphatic carboxylic acids. This transformation has been found to be very efficient in the presence of silica-supported palladium nanoparticles. The dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol by the rhodium amide, [Rh]N, follows the well established mechanism of metal-ligand bifunctional catalysis. The resulting amino hydride complex, [RhH]NH, transfers a H(2) molecule to the Pd nanoparticles, which, in turn, deliver hydrogen to the inactivated alkene. Thus a domino catalytic reaction is developed which promotes the reaction R-CH(2)-OH+NaOH+2 alkene-->R-COONa+2 alkane.