HYDRATION OF ALKYNES BY A PTCL4-CO CATALYST

Treatment of PtCl4 with CO at 40-110 degrees C forms a powerful alkyne hydration catalyst that operates both under homogeneous conditions in wet THF and under phase-transfer conditions in (CHCl2)(2)/H2O in the presence of tricaprylmethylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336). Complex HP tCl(CO)(2) is regarded as the active hydration catalyst. It is assumed to be formed by initial transformation of PtCl4 to H-2[Pt-3(CO)(6)](n ), (n = 5, 6) followed by reaction with HCl (generated by decompositio n of the starting platinum salt).