Hydrogenolysis of benzylic alcohols on rhodium catalysts

Alumina-supported catalysts from various sources and with different rhodium dispersions predominantly yield the hydrogenation product perhydro-1-indanol in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of 1-indanol, while carbonsupported catalysts mainly give the C-O bond scission - hydrogenation product perhydroindane. Addition of organic or inorganic bases to the reaction mixture suppresses C-O bond scission. To distinguish between the two possible pathways for C-O bond scission of direct hydrogenolysis or dehydration followed by hydrogenation, deuteration studies have been carried out with carbon-supported catalysts. Not only 1-indanol but also indane and indene (the two possible mechanistic intermediates in the C-O bond scission routes) were deuterated. Information about the actual pathway has been obtained by determining the degree of deuteration and the positions at which deuterium is incorporated in the resulting perhydroindane product by means of mass spectrometry and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The results prove that C-O bond scission takes place primarily through the direct hydrogenolysis pathway on the carbon-supported catalysts. Direct hydrogenolysis occurs on the carbon support because of the formation of a better leaving group (OH2+) from the benzylic hydroxy group and its subsequent substitution by spillover hydrogen.