Palladium-based telomerization of 1,3-butadiene with glycerol using methoxy-functionalized triphenylphosphine ligands

Glycerol is considered a potential renewable building block for the synthesis of existing as well as new chemicals. A promising route is the telomerization of 1,3-butadiene with glycerol leading to C8 chain ethers of glycerol with applications in, for example, surfactant chemistry. Recently, we reported a new set of palladium-based homogeneous catalytic systems for the telomerization of 1,3-butadiene with glycerol and found that palladium complexes bearing methoxy-functionalized triphenylphosphine ligands are highly active catalysts capable of converting crude glycerol without any significant loss of activity. Herein, we present a detailed account of these investigations by reporting on the influence of the butadiene/glycerol ratio, temperature, and reaction time on product selectivity and activity allowing further optimization of catalyst performance. Maximum activity and yield were reached for high 1,3-butadiene/glycerol ratios at a temperature of 90 degrees C, whereas the selectivity for mono- and diethers of glycerol could be optimized by combining high reaction temperatures and short reaction times with low butadiene/glycerol ratios. Variation of the PdII metal precursors and the metal/ligand ratio showed that palladium precursors with halogen ligands gave unsatisfying results, in contrast to precursors with weakly coordinated ligands such as [Pd(OAc)2] and [Pd(acac)2]. [Pd(dba)2], the only Pd0 precursor tested, gave the best results in terms of activity, which illustrates the importance of the ability to form a Pd0 species in the catalytic cycle. Finally, base addition resulted in a shortening of the reaction time and most likely facilitates the formation of a Pd0 species. Based on these results, we were able to realize the first attempts towards a rational ligand design aimed at a high selectivity for mono- and diether formation.