Abstract
The isolated products from the reactions of $Rh(ClO_4)(CO)(PPh_3)_2$ (1) with CH_2$ = $CHCO_2C_2H_5$ (2) and trans-$CH_3CH$ = $CHCO_2C_2H_5$ (3) contain 80∼ 90% of $[Rh(CH_2 = CHCO_2C_2H_5)(CO)(PPh_3)_2]ClO_4$ (4) and [Rh(trans-$CH_3CH = CHCO_2C_2H_5(CO)(PPh_3)_2]ClO_4$ (5), respectively where 2 and 3 seem to be coordinated through the carbonyl oxygen. It has been found that complex 1 catalyzes the isomerization of $CH_2 = CH(CH_2)_8CO_2C_2H_5$ (6) to $CH_3(CH_2)_nCH = CH(CH_2)_{7-n}CO_2C_2H_5$ (n = 0∼7) under nitrogen at 25$^{\circ}C$. The isomerization of 6 is slower than that of $CH_2 = CH(CH_2)_9CH_3$ to $CH_3(CH_2)_nCH$ = $CH(CH_2)_{8-n}CH_3$ (n = 0∼8), which is understood in terms of the interactions between the carbonyl oxygen of 6 and the catalyst. It has been also observed that complex 1 catalyzes the hydrogenation of 2, 3, 6, trans-$C_6H_5CH = CHCO_2C_2H_5$ (7), $CH_3(CH_2)_7CH = CH(CH_2)_7CO_2C_2H_5$ (8) and $CH_2 = CH(CH_2)_9CH_3$ (9), and the isomerization (double bond migration) of 6 and 9 under hydrogen at 25$^{\circ}C$. The interactions between the carbonyl oxygen of the unsaturated esters and the catalyst affect the hydrogenation in such a way that the hydrogenation of the unsaturated esters becomes slower than that of simple olefins.