Preparation, Reactions and Catalytic Activities of Water Soluble Iridium-Sulfonated Triphenylphosphine Complex

Water soluble iridium complex, IrCl(CO)(TPPTS)2·χH2O (1) (TPPTS=m-trisulfonated triphenylphosphine) has been prepared from the reaction of a water soluble complex, IrCl(COD)(TPPTS)2·6H2O (COD=l,5-cyclooctadiene) with CO and unambiguously characterized by electronic absorption, 31P NMR, 13C NMR and IR spectral data. Complex 1 catalyzes the hydration of terminal alkynes to give ketones in aqueous solutions at room temperature. The rate of PhC≡CH hydration dramatically increases with addition of MeOH to the reaction mixture in H2O, which is understood in terms of i) the excellent miscibility between H2O and MeOH and ii) the assumed catalytic hydration pathway involving the initial formation of (alkyne)IrCl(CO)(TPPTS)2.