Ligand effect on the rhodium porphyrin catalyzed hydrogenation of [2.2]paracyclophane with water: key bimetallic hydrogenationElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Table, figure, 1H NMR spectra and mass spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c7dt02002c

Rhodium porphyrin catalyzed hydrogenation of the aliphatic carbon-carbon σ-bond of [2.2]paracyclophane with water has been examined with a variety of tetraarylporphyrins and axial ligands. Mechanistic investigations show that Rh III (ttp)H, which can be derived from the reaction of [Rh II (ttp)] 2 with water without a sacrificial reductant, plays an important role in promoting bimetallic reductive elimination to give the hydrogenation product. Rhodium porphyrin catalyzed hydrogenation of the aliphatic carbon-carbon σ-bond of [2.2]paracyclophane with water has been examined with a variety of tetraarylporphyrins and axial ligands.