Bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel → Nickel

Participants

Reaction Steps

Under an inert atmosphere such as dry nitrogen or argon, a Ni(COD)2 solution is prepared by dissolving Ni(COD)2 (0.065 g) in toluene (2.79 g). A toluene solution, or other appropriate solvent solution, of the multidentate P-containing ligand or a ligand mixture comprising a multidentate P-containing ligand to be tested (0.230 mL of 0.062 mol total multidentate P-containing ligand/L of toluene) is treated with the Ni(COD)2 solution (0.320 mL) and thoroughly mixed to provide a catalyst precursor solution with a zero-valent nickel/multidentate P-containing ligand molar ratio of about 1/1. A cis-2-pentenenitrile (cis-2PN)/HCN/ZnCl2 solution is prepared by combining anhydrous ZnCl2 (0.0406 g), freshly distilled, uninhibited, liquid HCN (0.556 g), and cis-2PN (1.661 g). Into a 2 mL GC vial, a sample of catalyst precursor solution (0.092 mL) is treated with cis-2PN/HCN/ZnCl2 solution (0.034 mL) then the vial is sealed with an aluminum septum cap; the resulting mixture has cis-2PN/nickel molar ratio of about 123, HCN/nickel molar ratio of about 123, and a ZnCl2/nickel molar ratio of about 0.96/1. Over a period of 16 hours, the mixture is heated to about 50° C. The reaction mixture is then cooled to ambient temperature, treated with acetonitrile (0.125 mL), and analyzed by gas chromatography for the amount of ADN, MGN, and 2-ethylsuccinonitrile produced, in order to calculate the percent conversion of 2PN to dinitriles.

Provenance & Evidence