Heterogeneous palladium catalysts for a new one-pot chemical route in the synthesis of fragrances based on the Heck reaction

The one-pot synthesis of the fragrance 4(p-methoxyphenyl)butan-2-one, with raspberry scent, has been carried out using palladium on different supports such as magnesium oxide (MgO), hydrotalcite, hydroxyapatite (HA), aluminium oxide (gamma-Al2O3) and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The first pathway consists of a Heck coupling between 4-methoxyiodoanisole and methyl vinyl ketone followed by hydrogenation. Palladium supported on titanium di-oxide showed the best performance for carrying out both consecutive steps giving 4-(p-methoxyphenyl)butan-2-one with high yields and selectivity. The Pd-TiO2 catalyst is more active than a homogeneous palladium complex that is well accepted in the literature as being highly active for performing Heck reactions.