Project description DEENESFRITPL Abundant, benign and cost-effective aluminium in highly reactive catalysts Transition metals are unique in that they can have valence electrons (electrons that can participate in the formation of chemical bonds) in subshells and not only in the outer shell. Since they easily donate or accept electrons, they are widely used to catalyse reactions in industrial and synthetic chemistry. Low-valent aluminium complexes have been shown to act like transition metals suggesting that abundant and inexpensive aluminium could provide a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly route to bond activation and catalysis. The EU-funded ALLOWE project plans to exploit this potential with the synthesis, isolation and reactivity investigation of low-valent aluminium systems. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective This ERC-CoG 2020 proposal, ALLOWE outlines a strategy for the development of low-valent aluminium systems through their synthesis, isolation, and reactivity investigation of neutral, ambiphilic, low-valent aluminium compounds, denoted “alumylenes”. Their dimeric form “dialumenes” featuring an aluminium-aluminium double bond will also be within the scope of the project. These low-valent aluminium species are expected to provide, along with greater understanding of the fundamental behaviour of low-valent aluminium, a varied and deep reactivity profile. These highly reactive compounds will offer a cheap, sustainable and non-toxic alternative to the current transition metal-based industrial chemical processes. The proposed scheme of work begins with the synthesis of neutral alumylenes and dialumenes, respectively. This will be achieved through the use of donor ligands (i.e. N-heterocyclic carbenes) and substituents with differing electronic and steric properties. With these compounds in hand, the reactivity towards small molecules will be investigated along with development of low-valent aluminium based catalysts. Furthermore, incorporation of transition metals into these aluminium systems will be targeted as these may possess unique and interesting properties. Established methodologies such as reductive dehalogenation or reductive dehydrohalogenation will provide access to novel low-valent aluminium compounds bearing bulky substituents and donor ligands. The synthetic portion of the work will also be supported by theoretical calculations.The outcome of ALLOWE will provide (i) in-depth insight and understanding into low-valent aluminium’s bonding nature, particularly emphasis laid on ambiphilic aluminium center (ii) plethora of striking reactivity towards transition metal free stoichiometric and catalytic activation of small molecules, and (iii) various potential applications in aluminium-based material chemistry. Fields of science natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metalsnatural scienceschemical sciencescatalysisnatural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsmathematical model Keywords Synthetic molecular chemistry inorganic molecular chemistry main group chemistry aluminium low-valent species Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-COG - ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2020-COG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Host institution TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Net EU contribution € 1 997 750,00 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen Germany See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 997 750,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Germany Net EU contribution € 1 997 750,00 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 997 750,00
