We report that Na+ and (phebox)Ir(OAc)(H) can be used to co-catalyze the oligomerization-dehydrogenation (O-D) of ethylene, with ethylene also acting as a hydrogen acceptor. Polyenic and even aromatic compounds were obtained as major products under the mild reaction condition (175 °C, 6 atm ethylene). Under the same reaction conditions but in the absence of Na+, the formation of these products was negligible; only trace amounts of C4 products were observed. We have previously reported that Na+ can catalyze the β-hydride elimination of (phebox)Ir(OAc)(alkyl), and the microscopic reverse, as well as C-H activation by (phebox)Ir(OAc)(H). Both of these reaction steps are proposed to be involved in the Ir(III)-catalyzed ethylene O-D reaction discovered and studied in this work.

Ethylene oligomerization-dehydrogenation co-catalyzed by (phebox)Ir(OAc)(H) and Na+ cation

254th National Meeting (2017)

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