Hydrovinylation

In organic chemistry, hydrovinylation is the formal insertion of an alkene into the C-H bond of ethylene (H₂C=CH₂):

CH₂=CHR + CH₂=CH₂ → CH₃−CHR−CH=CH₂

The more general reaction, hydroalkenylation, is the formal insertion of an alkene into the C-H bond of any terminal alkene. The reaction is catalyzed by metal complexes. A representative reaction is the conversion of styrene and ethylene to 3-phenybutene:^[1]

{\ce {PhCH=CH2}}+{\color {red}{\ce {CH2=CH2}}}\longrightarrow {\color {red}{\ce {H -}}}{\ce {CH2-CH(Ph)}}{\color {red}{\ce {-CH=CH2}}}

^ T. V. RajanBabu; G. A. Cox (2014). "5.32 Hydrovinylation Reactions in Organic Synthesis". Hydrovinylation Reactions in Organic Synthesis. Comprehensive Organic Synthesis II (Second Edition). Vol. 5. pp. 1582–1620. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-097742-3.00533-4. ISBN 978-0-08-097743-0.

[1] T. V. RajanBabu; G. A. Cox (2014). "5.32 Hydrovinylation Reactions in Organic Synthesis". Hydrovinylation Reactions in Organic Synthesis. Comprehensive Organic Synthesis II (Second Edition). Vol. 5. pp. 1582–1620. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-097742-3.00533-4. ISBN 978-0-08-097743-0.

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