Efficient CO2 Hydrogenation to Formate with Immobilized Ir-Catalysts Based on Mesoporous Silica Beads.

The Nozaki Ir-based CO2 hydrogenation catalyst was successfully immobilized on post-functionalized silica beads (d=200 µm) through click chemistry. This material hydrogenates CO2 into formic acid with turnover numbers reaching 2.8×104 in a batch reactor within 24 hours, paving the way towards the design of efficient heterogeneous catalysts for this transformation.

Insight into the Activation of In Situ Generated Chiral RhI Catalysts and Their Application in Cyclotrimerizations.

We report a detailed study concerning the efficient generation of highly active chiral rhodium complexes of the general structure [Rh(diphosphine)(solvent)2 ]+ as well as their exemplary successful utilization as catalysts for cyclotrimerizations. Such solvent complexes could likewise be prepared from novel ammonia complexes of the type [Rh(diphosphine)(NH3 )2 ]+ . A valuable, feasible approach to generate novel chiral RhI complexes was found by in situ generation from Wilkinson's catalyst [RhCl(PPh3 )3 ] with chiral P,N ligands. The generated catalysts led to moderate to good enantioselectivities and excellent yields in the cyclotrimerizations of triynes, showcasing their usefulness in the synthesis of axially chiral benzene derivatives.

Probing the molecular character of periodic mesoporous organosilicates via photoluminescence of Lewis acid-base adducts.

Photoluminescence decay was used as a structure-sensitive method to compare the distribution of emitting sites in periodic mesoporous organosilicates (PMOs) to their respective molecular analogs. The observed close similarity of PL decays confirms the molecular nature of PMOs and high homogeneity of emitting sites.

CoCl(PPh3)3 as Cyclotrimerization Catalyst for Functionalized Triynes under Mild Conditions.

The ubiquitary Co(I) complex CoCl(PPh3)3 was found to be a convenient catalyst for the [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of functionalized triynes under mild reaction conditions and devoid of any additional additive, yielding the substituted arene compounds. Successful development of synthetic routes to various triynes and the subsequent cyclotrimerization key step gave systematic access to a variety of different bi- and triaryls with good to excellent yields for the cyclization.

CO2 Hydrogenation: Supported Nanoparticles vs. Immobilized Catalysts.

The conversion of CO(2) to more valuable chemicals has been the focus of intense research over the past decades, and this field has become particularly important in view of the continuous increase of CO(2) levels in our atmosphere and the need to find alternative ways to store excess energy into fuels. In this review we will discuss different strategies for CO(2) conversion with heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts. In addition, we will introduce some promising research concerning the immobilization of homogeneous catalysts on heterogeneous supports, as a hybrid of hetero- and homogeneous catalysts.

Fine-tuning the reactivity and stability by systematic ligand variations in CpCo(I) complexes as catalysts for [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions.

CpCo(I)-olefin-phosphite and CpCo(I)-bisphosphite complexes were systematically prepared and their reactivity in [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions compared with highly active [CpCo(H(2)C=CHSiMe(3))(2)] (1). Whereas 1 is an excellent precursor for the synthesis of [CpCo(olefin)(phosphite)] complexes (2 a-f), [CpCo(phosphite)(2)] complexes (3 a-e) were prepared photochemically from [CpCo(cod)]. The complexes were evaluated in the cyclotrimerization reaction of diynes with nitriles yielding pyridines. For [CpCo(olefin)(phosphite)], as well as some of the [CpCo(phosphite)(2)] complexes, reaction temperatures as low as 50 °C were sufficient to perform the cycloaddition reaction. A direct comparison showed that the order of reactivity for the complex ligands was olefin(2)>olefin/phosphite>phosphites(2). The complexes with mixed ligands favorably combine reactivity and stability. Calculations on the ligand dissociation from [CpCo(olefin)(phosphite)] proved that the phosphite is dissociating before the olefin. [CpCo(H(2)C=CHSiMe(3)){P(OPh)(3)}] (2 a) was investigated for the co-cyclization of diynes and nitriles and found to be an efficient catalyst at rather mild temperatures.

Computational studies and experimental results--an example of excellent teamwork in studying carbocyclization.

In silico veritas? Maybe not the whole truth, but very helpful suggestions and guidelines for the experimental work can be deduced from computational studies on Rh-catalyzed [3+2+1] cycloaddition reactions for the construction of cis-fused bicyclohexenones from alkylidenecyclopropanes and carbon monoxide.

Gold(I) catalysts with bifunctional P, N ligands.

A series of phosphanes with imidazolyl substituents were prepared as hemilabile PN ligands. The corresponding gold(I) complexes were tested as bifunctional catalysts in the Markovnikov hydration of 1-octyne, as well as in the synthesis of propargylamines by the three component coupling reaction of piperidine, benzaldehyde, and phenylacetylene. While the activity in the hydration of 1-octyne was low, the complexes are potent catalysts for the three component coupling reaction. In homogeneous solution the conversions to the respective propargylamine were considerably higher than under aqueous biphasic conditions. The connectivity of the imidazolyl substituents to the phosphorus atom, their substitution pattern, as well as the number of heteroaromatic substituents have pronounced effects on the catalytic activity of the corresponding gold(I) complexes. Furthermore, formation of polymetallic species with Au(2), Au(3), and Au(4) units has been observed and the solid-state structures of the compounds [(5)(2)Au(3)Cl(2)]Cl and [(3c)(2)Au(4)Cl(2)]Cl(2) (3c = tris(2-isopropylimidazol-4(5)-yl phosphane, 5 = 2-tert-butylimidazol-4(5)-yldiphenyl phosphane) were determined. The gold(I) complexes of imidazol-2-yl phosphane ligands proved to be a novel source for bis(NHC)gold(I) complexes (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene).

Site-isolated manganese carbonyl on bipyridine-functionalities of periodic mesoporous organosilicas: efficient CO2 photoreduction and detection of key reaction intermediates.

Well-defined and fully characterized supported CO2 reduction catalysts are developed through the immobilization of an earth abundant Mn complex on bpy-PMO (bpy = bipyridine; PMO = Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica) platform materials. The resulting isolated Mn-carbonyl centers coordinated to bipyridine functionalities of bpy-PMO catalyze the photoreduction of CO2 into CO and HCOOH with up to ca. 720 TON in the presence of BIH (1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzoimidazole), used as the electron donor. A broad range of photochemical conditions (varying solvents, sacrificial electron donors, photosensitizer type and concentration, catalyst loading as well as the Mn loading within the PMO) are investigated, demonstrating high activity even for simple organic dyes and Zn-porphyrin as photosensitizers. Spectroscopic and catalytic data also indicate that site isolation of the Mn complex in the PMO framework probably inhibits bimolecular processes such as dimerisation and disproportionation and thus allows the spectroscopic observation of key reaction intermediates, namely the two meridional isomers of the carbonyl complexes and the bipyridine radical anion species.