Nonpolar phase-soluble metathesis catalysts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370770-B2
Application number	US-201414261150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 1, 2007
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides polyisobutylene (PIB) oligormers that are end-functionalized with ruthenium (Ru) catalysts. Such nonpolar catalysts can be dissolved in nonpolar solvents such as heptane, or any other nonpolar solvent that is otherwise not latently biphasic (i.e., if two or more solvent components are present, they remain miscible with each other throughout the entire reaction process, from the addition of substrate through to the removal of product). Substrate that is dissolved in the nonpolar solvent with the catalyst is converted into product. The lower solubility of the product in the nonpolar solvent renders it easily removable, either by extraction with a more polar solvent or by applying physical means in cases where the product precipitates from the nonpolar solvent. In this manner the catalysts are recycled; since the catalysts remain in the nonpolar solvent, a new reaction can be initiated simply by dissolving fresh substrate into the nonpolar solvent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reaction composition comprising:
a) a nonpolar solvent, wherein the solvent is not latently biphasic;
b) a catalyst that is complexed to a nonpolar support comprising polyisobutylene, wherein the catalyst-support complex is dissolved in the solvent; and
c) a substrate molecule dissolved in the solvent, wherein the molecule is a substrate for the catalyst, and wherein the product of a reaction of the molecule with the catalyst is less soluble in the solvent compared to the molecule.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the product is completely insoluble in the solvent.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises an alkane.

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the solvent comprises heptane.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, silver and combinations thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a ruthenium catalyst.

Assignees

• Texas A & M Univ Sys

Inventors

• Bergbreiter David E
• Bazzi Hassan S
• Hongfa Chayanant

Classifications

• C07C2601/16

  the ring being unsaturated · CPC title

• C07C2601/10

  the ring being unsaturated · CPC title

• B01J31/2278

  Complexes comprising two carbene ligands differing from each other, e.g. Grubbs second generation catalysts · CPC title

• C07D211/94

  Oxygen atom, e.g. piperidine N-oxide · CPC title

• B01J31/06

  containing polymers {(organometallic polymers B01J31/123; polymer-bound organometallic complexes B01J31/165; coordination polymers B01J31/1691)} · CPC title