C-H activation Flashcards
E-factor
Mass of waste / mass of products
General C-H activation partial catalytic cycle using a directing group
Draw
Benefits of C-H activation catalysis
Atom efficient
Easier to purify the products (fewer by-products)
Problems with C-H activation catalysis
Need efficient catalysts
Need to understand stoichiometric reactions in order to develop catalysis
Why is activation of C-H bonds attractive?
Many hydrocarbons e.g. methane, benzene are cheap and abundant so could be valuable feedstocks
In an ideal world, we would be able to use C-H activation to selectively functionalise these unfunctionalised alkanes without the need for directing groups
Two methods for activating a C-H bond
- Sigma-bond metathesis
2. Oxidative addition
An overall C-H activation equation (OA)
LnM + R-H —> LnM-H(-R)
Thermodynamic problems for C-H activation
DeltaS = C-H activation is disfavoured entropically (2 molecules --> 1 molecule) DeltaH = reaction must be sufficiently exothermic to overcome the loss of entropy
Why is C-H activation harder than H-H activation?
Energy required to break H-H = 436 kJ mol-1
Energy release on forming M-H = 311 kJ mol-1
Energy required to break H3C-H = 436 kJ mol-1
Energy released on forming M-CH3 = 235 kJ mol-1
i.e. H-H and H3C-H bonds have similar strengths
Less energy is released on forming a metal-carbon than metal-hydrogen bond, so H3C-H activation is less favoured
Bond enthalpies for Ph-H activation
Energy required to break Ph-H bond = 460 kJ mol-1 (more energy required than for general C-H due to breaking aromaticity)
Energy released on formation of Ph-M = 344 kJ mol-1 (more energy released because there are opportunities for donating electron density onto the metal (ring acting as ‘electron pump’) and backbonding from the metal onto the ring (ring acting as ‘electron sink’))
Why does spontaneous complex decomposition occur with M-alkyl complexes?
Because M-C bond is so weak
(and C-H bond is strong)
Draw
Kinetic problems for C-H activation
Issues generally related to sterics
Difficult for metal to approach sp3 C-H bond without encountering severe steric hindrance (draw)
Therefore sp3 C-H bond activation often has a very high activation energy
Stability of product from C-H activation
M-C complexes can undergo beta/gamma-hydride elimination
Intramolecular C-H activation
Easier than intermolecular!
Thermodynamics: entropically neutral (just 1 molecule reacting with itself) and chelate formed (chelate effect = driving force)
Kinetics: complex is pre-disposed to C-H activation because the C-H is already in close proximity to the metal centre
Agostic interactions
If the C-H bond is weakened through interaction with the metal centre but not completely broken
Occurs when the C-H bond of a substituent on a ligand interacts with an unsaturated metal centre (requires an empty orbital on the metal to accept the electron density)
Can get alpha- and beta-agostic interactions (draw)