Medium effect on cyclohexene hydrocarbomethoxylation catalyzed by ruthenium (III) chloride

This paper presents influence of some solvents on cyclohexene hydrocarbomethoxylation catalyzed by ruthenium(III) chloride. The objective of the work was contained in the determination of medium influence on the reaction rate and yield of product - methyl cyclohexanecarboxylate. The kinetic method was used as the main method of investigation. The gas-liquid chromatography method was used to analyze the reaction mass. Influence of methanol, toluene, acetone and water on the hydrocarmothoxylation rate and ester yield was studied. Limited choice of the solvents to investigations was dependent on low solubility of RuCl3 in the greatest part of them. Methanol was determined to be the most preferable medium to cyclohexene hydrocarbomethoxylation catalyzed by ruthenium (III) chloride in the site of the reaction rate and the product yield. The reaction rate increased linearity with increasing methanol concentration. In the toluene medium the dependences of reaction rate and ester yield on water concentration had slight maximums. The reaction rate was insensibility to water concentration. The reaction rate and product yield were decreased with increase of acetone concentration. Obtained results on the effect of acetone and water are interpreted in terms of donor-acceptor properties of oxygen-containing ligand-formatting agents. Hypothesis about alcoholate mechanism of reaction was moved. The obtained results will complete existing data about ruthenium-catalysed hydrocarbalkoxylation of alkenes and in practice will serve as a basis for search of the optimal conditions of these reactions.