Colloid-catalysed arene hydrogenation in aqueous/supercritical fluid biphasic mediaElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: experimental details, description of the effect of changing the buffer, plot of pH of aqueous buffers under 10 atm H2 and varying pressures of CO2. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/a9/a907193h/
Abstract
Hydrogenation of arenes, including the lignin model compound 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol, has been effected using a Rh colloid in biphasic aqueous/supercritical ethane reaction media; this is the first successful example of an unsupported colloid-catalysed hydrogenation of a substrate in a supercritical fluid; the same reaction does not proceed in aqueous/supercritical carbon dioxide or ionic liquid/supercritical fluid media.