Objective The goal of the proposed research plan is the preparation of nickel complexes as catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons using environmentally friendly oxidants like molecular oxygen (O2) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The complexes will be prepared using highly robust nitrogen-based ligand scaffolds and carbene N-heterocyclic systems. Different ligands with different architectures (from bidentate to pentadentate) will be used in order to evaluate the most suitable scaffold for nickel and several substrates will be used in order to test the activity of the prepared catalysts in oxidation reactions of inactivated organic compounds. Moreover, their ability to perform stereospecific reactions using more complicated targets (natural products) bearing several non-equivalent C-H bonds will also be tested. This subject is specially relevant and interesting due to the importance of selectively incorporate oxidized functionality into organic frameworkds. The performance of asymmetric oxdiation processes may be achieved by the use of chiral ligands. Moreover, the active species implicated in the oxidation processes will be studied. In this sense, the preparation of nickel complexes based on carbene N-heterocyclic ligands may allow the access to low-valent complexes (Ni0 or NiI) which may be capable of direct activation of molecular O2 leading to the formation and detection of Ni-O2 species which may be responsible for the oxidation reactions. Relevant aspects to be considered are their electronic structure, the reversibility of the interaction, the basicity and electrophilicity of these species and their ability to oxidize organic substrates. These Ni-O2 species may possess different oxidation profiles towards exogenous substrates depending on the ligand architecture. Fields of science natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysisnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metalsnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbonsnatural scienceschemical sciencescatalysis Keywords Oxygen activation nickel oxidation catalysis Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN Address Strasse des 17 juni 135 10623 Berlin Germany See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Simone Judwig (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 161 563,92
