Platinum(II) olefin hydroarylation catalysts: tuning selectivity for the anti-Markovnikov product Tandem catalytic ester hydrogenation and deoxygenation of polyethylene terephthalate

Abstract

PtII complexes bearing unsymmetrical pyridyl-pyrrolide ligands are shown to catalyze the hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes with high selectivity for the anti-Markovnikov product. Substitution on the pyrrolide portion of the ligand allows for effective tuning of the selectivity to anti-Markovnikov alkylarene products while substitution on the pyridyl portion can promote competitive alkenylarene production. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a widely utilized plastic, but there is growing concern about the environmental impacts of the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics into the environment. We propose an alternative to current PET recycling methods by the use of a tandem homogeneous catalytic system.