Alumina-anchored Cobalt(II) Schiff Base Catalyst for the Isomerization of Trimethyldicyanoquadricyclane to the Norbornadiene
N,N′-Disalicylidene-4-carboxy-1,2-phenylenediiminatocobalt(II) supported on polyaminesulfone modified alumina beads has been prepared. The immobilized complex revealed efficient catalysis for the conversion of trimethyldicyanoquadricyclane (TMDC-Q) to the corresponding norbornadiene (TMDC-NBD). Using a bench-scale fixed bed reactor, TMDC-Q in chlorobenzene (1 mol dm−3) isomerized to TMDC-NBD quantitatively during the flow through catalyst bed of only 20 cm with the temperature increase from 24.5 °C to 75 °C.