Synthesis and Catalytic Hydrogenation Reactivity of a Chromium Catecholate Porous Organic Polymer

Abstract

A single-site chromium catecholate POP (catPOP A2B1) was synthesized and characterized via AT-IR, XAS, and EPR spectroscopy. The well-defined, four-coordinate, 11-electron Cr(III) centers bound to catecholate POP were demonstrated to be active hydrogenation catalysts for nonpolar unsaturated organic substrates under mild conditions (5 mol % of Cr, 200 psi of H2, 60 °C). This material constitutes the first example of a well-defined, supported organometallic chromium hydrogenation precatalyst.