Hydrogenation and Other Hydrogen-Based Catalytic Reactions

The industrial importance of homogeneous catalysts in hydrogenation reactions lies mainly in their very high chemo‐, regio‐, and enantioselectivities. This chapter discusses hydrogenation reactions and other hydrogen‐based catalytic reactions such as hydroformylation, hydrosilylation, hydrocyanation, and hydroamination. There are various industrial and patented processes where hydroformylation reactions are employed. Asymmetric hydroformylation allows the conversion of olefins into optically active aldehydes in a single step. From an industrial perspective, the hydrosilylation reaction where a new carbon‐silicon bond is made has many uses. Examples are the coupling of silanes and siloxanes to organic polymers. Hydrocyanation reaction is carried out in two stages. In the hydrocyanation process, zero‐valent nickel phosphine or phosphite complexes are used as precatalysts. Intramolecular hydroamination involving ring closures is illustrated in the chapter. In recent years the addition of amides to C ≡ C bonds has also been reported.