Homogenous catalysis in the reactions of olefinic substances. V. Hydrogenation of soybean oil methyl ester with triphenylphosphine and triphenylarsine palladium catalysts

Some palladium complexes containing coordinated triphenylphosphine or arsine have been found to be effective and selective catalysts in the homogeneous hydrogenation of soybean oil methyl ester. The characteristic features of the catalysis are 1) isomerization ofcis double bonds totrans double bonds, 2) migration of isolated double bonds to form conjugated dienes, 3) selective hydrogenation of poly olefines to mono olefines without hydrogenation of mono olefine, 4) ester exchange of methyl ester to butyl ester, 5) effective hydrogenation and isomerization by methanol in the absence of elemental hydrogen. The catalytic activity of a variety of palladium complexes decreases in the following order: (ϕ₃P)₂PdCl₂+SnCl₂·2H₂O>(ϕ₃P)₂PdCl₂+GeCl₂>(ϕ₃P)₂Pd(CN)₂> (ϕ₃As)₂Pd(CN)₂>(ϕ₃P)₂PdCl₂≫(ϕ₃As)₂PdCl₂. However, neither K₂PdCl₄ with SnCl₂·2H₂O nor (ϕ₃P)₂Pd(SCN)₂ was effective for hydrogenation. The hydrogenation and isomerization of soybean oil methyl ester have been examined under various conditions using a mixture of (ϕ₃P)₂PdCl₂ and SnCl₂·2H₂O. Under nitrogen pressure, in benzene and methanol as a solvent, both isomerization and hydrogenation of soybean oil methyl ester proceeded less effectively than under hydrogen pressure. This work was done under contract with the USDA. Earlier articles in the series are: I, Inorg. Chem.4, 1618 (1965): II, Proceedings of the Symposium on Coordination Chemistry (Tihany, Hungary, 1964), Edited by M. T. Beck, Budapest, 1965; III, JAOCS43, 337 (1966); IV, Advances in Chemistry Series, American Chemical Society, in press.