Sol-gel entrapped heteronuclear transition metal catalysts

The heteronuclear complexes [(CO)(4)Fe(mu-PPh2)Pd(mu-Cl)(2)](2), [Et4N] [FeCo3(CO)(12)] and Rh2Co2(CO)(12) were physically entrapped in SiO2-sol-gel matrices. The doped materials, so formed, were utilized as recyclable catalysts for(a) selective isomerization of 1-octene, (b) selective dimerization of norbornadiene to 'binor-S', and (c) hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of styrene, nitrobenzene and 1-chloronaphthalene, respectively. During the hydrogenation of the nitrobenzene and of chloronaphthalene, the dodecacarbonylbis(cobalt) dirhodium was converted into sol-gel entrapped carbonyl-free nanoparticles that efficiently catalyze the reduction of the aromatic C-C bonds. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd All rights reserved.