Descrizione del progetto
Un nuovo standard aureo nei catalizzatori per trasformazioni note e nuove reattività
La chimica sintetica svolge un ruolo fondamentale nella sintesi sia di composti naturali di rilevanza commerciale che nella sintesi di molecole nuove e su misura con funzioni specifiche. I chimici utilizzano elementi costitutivi da cui possono rompere i legami, rimuovere determinati gruppi e aggiungerne altri in modo molto simile a un bambino che gioca con i Lego. Tuttavia, a differenza di queste facili «trasformazioni», la rottura e la creazione di legami spesso si basano sulla catalisi. Il progetto Au-MLC, finanziato dall’Unione europea, analizzerà un processo catalitico promettente ma inesplorato che sfrutta la comprovata capacità dell’oro di promuovere le trasformazioni chimiche. Il team fornirà diversi catalizzatori e ne evidenzierà l’uso in nuove reazioni sequenziali.
Obiettivo
Gold catalysis has gathered increasing attention from the synthetic community during the last decades, due to the remarkable ability of Au centres to promote chemical transformations. Typically, gold catalysis is based on its peculiar properties as a Lewis acid, that make it very well suited for the activation of unsaturated bonds. On the other hand, the use of gold in more sophisticated processes, such as cooperative catalysis, is at its pioneering stage, and only few examples of these strategies are currently known. Metal-Ligand Cooperation strategies (MLC) are an emerging tool in homogeneous catalysis, based on the interplay between the metal centre and the non-innocent (bifunctional) ligand. This synergy vastly enhances the performances of known transformations, and even enables new sets of reactivities. MLC has been applied to many metal centres, often with spectacular results; Au-MLC strategies, however, are unknown to date. This project focuses on the development of a family of novel Au(III) complexes bearing Brønsted basic, non-innocent pincer ligands characteristics. Their fundamental study will be performed, assessing their Lewis acidity (especially in the Pearson HSAB scale), their Brønsted basicity, and their stoichiometric interaction with X–H bonds. Based on these results, their use as bifunctional Lewis-acid catalysts will be explored for the electrophilic activation of alkynes, carbonyl compounds, and alcohols. The design and development of sequential reactions involving the bifunctional gold catalysts obtained in the context of this project will be the ultimate, most ambitious goal of this action.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
75794 Paris
Francia