A multiphase catalytic system consisting of hydrocarbon solvent and aqueous phase, phase-transfer (PT) agent (Aliquat 336), and supported Pt or Pd catalyst, bubbled with hydrogen at atmospheric pressure, affords the rapid and efficient hydrodechlorination and the selective reduction of the functional groups of p-chloroacetophenone and acetophenone at 50 • C and in moderate reaction times. The reaction gives quantitative yields of reduction products with variable selectivity, which can be controlled by varying some simple reaction conditions. Herein both halogen removal and carbonyl group or phenyl ring reductions are discussed. The composition of the aqueous phase, the nature of supported catalysts, the effect of various inorganic anions, and other reaction conditions have been studied kinetically to estimate the mechanistic aspects of the reaction selectivity. Emphasis is placed on the development of a novel synthetic tool, which allows control over the selectivity in the reduction of the carbonyl group and the phenyl ring. A number of kinetic models and the corresponding integral rate expressions were used, coupled with the "simultaneous nonlinear least-squares fitting" method, to estimate the rate constants for the formation of each particular reaction component. The kinetic monitoring allowed the accurate analysis of the reaction selectivity. Some mechanistic conclusions were drawn for the reaction under study that suggest that "softer" reduction conditions are attained in the presence of a PT agent and the aqueous phase.

The hydrodechlorination (HDC) and hydrogenation (HG) of 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (TCB) and of p-chloroacetophenone with hydrogen at atmospheric pressure and at 50• C over Raney-Ni in a biphasic organic-aqueous system and in the presence of a phasetransfer agent (Aliquat 336) were studied from a kinetic stand-

The rate of the Pd/C catalyzed Heck coupling of Ar-I with CH 2 CH-R is accelerated tenfold by the presence of Aliquat 336 (A336), a well known phase transfer catalyst, and an ionic liquid. Both when conducted in A336 as solvent, and in an isooctane/A336/aqueous triphasic mixture, the Heck reaction of aryl iodides with electron deficient olefins, catalyzed by Pd/C, proceeds with high yields and selectivity. When KOH is used instead of Et 3 N, selective formation of the biphenyl rather than the Heck product, is observed. Aryl bromides react more sluggishly, and only the more activated ones undergo the Heck reaction. In the absence of the olefin, aryl halides possessing an electron withdrawing group are reduced to the corresponding Ar-H.

Dechlorination of ␥-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) is carried out in the multiphase catalytic system, composed by isooctane and aqueous KOH phases, a phase transfer agent (Aliquat 336) and a metal catalyst, e.g. 5% Pd/C, 5% Pt/C, or Raney-Ni. At 50• C and atmospheric pressure the full conversion of lindane to 1,2,4-tricholorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB) is achieved in 5-10 min via the base assisted dehydrochlorination, followed by the metal catalyzed hydrodechlorination with hydrogen to benzene. Aqueous KOH and Aliquat 336 strongly affect the reaction: if present together they co-promote both dehydrochlorination and hydrodechlorination steps; if KOH is absent, the reaction is forced to follow a different catalytic pathway, which involves a removal of a pair of chlorines at every reaction step by zerovalent metal followed by reduction of metal with hydrogen. This is proven by the formation of 3,4,5,6-tetrachlorocyclohex-1-ene and 5,6-dichlorocyclohexa-1,3-diene as intermediates in the reaction over Raney-Ni, and by the absence of TCBs in the reactions on all the catalysts studied. The final yield of benzene via this pathway can be achieved in shorter times than in a system with KOH. The presence of Aliquat 336 in the isooctane-water system produces a 10-fold rate increase, the presence of alkaline water is also important since it avoids catalyst poisoning by neutralizing the hydrochloric acid formed.