Synthesis, reactivities and catalytic carbonylation of rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes containing isomeric acetylpyridine ligands

Rh(CO)₂Cl]₂ reacts with two mole equivalent of 2-acetylpyridine (a), 3-acetylpyridine (b) and 4-acetylpyridine (c) to afford chelate Rh(CO)Cl(η²-N∩O)] (1a) and non-chelate Rh(CO)₂Cl(η¹-N∼O)] (1b, 1c) complexes, where, N∩O = a, N∼O = b, c. Oxidative addition (OA) of 1a-1c with CH₃I and C₂H₅I yields penta coordinate rhodium(III) complexes, Rh(COR)ClI(η²-N∩O)] {R = -CH₃ (2a); -C₂H₅ (3a)} and Rh(COR)(CO)ClI(η¹-N∼O)] {R = -CH₃ (2b, 2c); -C₂H₅ (3b, 3c)}. Kinetic study for the reaction of 1a-1c with CH₃I indicates a pseudo-first order reaction. The catalytic activity of 1a-1c for the carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid and its ester was evaluated at different initial CO pressures 5, 10 and 20 bar at ∼25 °C and higher turn over numbers (TON = 1581-1654) were obtained compared to commercial Monsanto’s species Rh(CO)₂I₂]⁻ (TON = 1000) under the reaction conditions: temperature = 130 ± 1 °C, pressure = 15-32 bar, rpm = 450, time = 1 h and catalyst: substrate = 1: 1900.