CATALYSIS OF ALKENE HYDROGENATION AND OXIDATION BY NICKEL SALOPH COMPLEX - A NOVEL BIFUNCTIONAL CATALYST

Hydrogenation of cyclohexene to cyclohexane and cyclooctene to cyclooctane with H2 in presence of Ni(saloph), 1, (saloph=bis(salicylaldehyde)-o-phenylenediamine) were carried out at moderately high pressure (60 atm) and temperature (50-degrees-C) in ethanol medium. At normal temperature and pressure, the same catalyst (complex 1) catalyses the epoxidation of cyclohexene and cyclooctene with KHSO5 in presence of CTAB (cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide; a phase-transfer reagent) in CH2Cl2. Cyclohexene oxide and cyclooctene oxide were found to be the major products of the epoxidation reactions.