Preparation of homogenous cationic transition metal catalysts from tertiary phosphonium salts containing a weakly coordinating anion

摘要

A method is provided to prepare a cationic transition metal catalyst, the method including the steps of: providing a disubstituted phosphine selected from the group consisting of RPH and R 1 R 2 PH (wherein R is a divalent group selected from substituted and nonsubstituted hydrocarbon groups; and R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from substituted and non-substituted hydrocarbon groups); combining the disubstituted phosphine with a salt of the formula R 3 X n (wherein X is a good leaving group and is a weakly coordinating anion; R 3 is a substituted or non-substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon; and n is 1, 2, or 3) to form a phosphonium salt of a formula selected from R 3 (RPH)n+ nX- and R 3 (R 1 R 2 PH)n+ nX-; and combining the phosphonium salt with a transition metal salt of the formula MY m (wherein M is a transition metal, and Y is the anion of a weak acid) thereby forming a cationic transition metal catalyst. The phosphonium salt that is produced is useful as a component of a catalyst system, for reactions between carbon monoxides and olefinic hydrocarbons, wherein the reactants are not sensitive to exposure to oxygen, and wherein the number of process steps in the production of the catalyst system is reduced.