Rhenium Complexes Bearing Tridentate and Bidentate Phosphinoamine Ligands in the Production of Biofuel Alcohols via the Guerbet Reaction.

ABSTRACT: We report a variety of rhenium complexes supported by bidentate and tridentate phosphinoamine ligands and their use in the formation of the advanced biofuel isobutanol from methanol and ethanol. Rhenium pincer complexes 1-3 are effective catalysts for this process, with 2 giving isobutanol in 35% yields, with 97% selectivity in the liquid fraction, over 16 h with catalyst loadings as low as 0.07 mol %. However, these catalysts show poorer overall selectivity, with the formation of a significant amount of carboxylate salt solid byproduct also being observed. Production of the active catalyst 1d has been followed by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, and the importance of the presence of base and elevated temperatures to catalyst activation has been established. Com

SUBMITTER: King AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8411595 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature