Catalytic deoxydehydration of glycerol to allyl alcohol in the presence of mono-oxygenated rhenium diphosphine complexes

Allyl alcohol is a crucial organic intermediate in synthesizing polymeric compounds industrially produced by petroleum-derived propylene despite environmental concerns. In this study, we propose a system that utilizes cost-effective and renewable bio-resource, glycerol, as the starting material. In this regard, we conducted the reaction in the presence of mono-oxygenated rhenium diphosphine complexes as catalysts and alcohol as the solvent and hydrogen transfer agent. Among the tested complexes, the [ReOBr3(Xantphos)] complex combined with 2-propanol as a solvent and the reducing agent exhibited the most outstanding performance, yielding allyl alcohol with an exceptional efficiency of 100%. The structures of three newly synthesized complexes, [ReOB-r3(Xantphos)], [ReOBr3(DPEphos)], and [ReOCl3(dppb)] were determined by X-ray single crystallography. These findings contribute to the advancement of allyl alcohol production, offering a more sustainable and environ-mentally friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based methods.