Alkanes compose the major components of petroleum and natural gas, but their use as a carbon feedstock is limited to processes which operate at temperatures high enough to cause C�H or C�C bond homolysis, such as steam reforming and cracking. The utility of organometallic complexes has been demonstrated in promoting controlled C�H activation by a variety of mechanisms, such as 1,2-addition across metal-ligand multiple bonds. We show that the transient, terminal titanium alkylidyne, (PNP)Ti=CtBu (PNP � = N[2-PiPr2-4-methylphenyl]2-) activates C�H bonds in the most inert hydrocarbons by an intermolecular 1,2-addition across the Ti=C linkage. Moreover, this compound can enact a,�-double C�H cleavage in linear and cyclic alkanes to stoichiometrically produce olefins in very good yields, with complete selectivity for the terminal isomer.

Alkane to alkene at room temperature: paraffin dehydrogenation promoted by a pincer-supported titanium alkylidyne complex

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.