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Metal-Ligand Multiple Bonds and Some Catalytic Prospects Involving the Conversion of Hydrocarbons to More Value-Added Materials

Prof. Mindiola
Feb 25, 2020 | 12:00
Where: ICIQ Auditorium
Lecturer: Prof. Daniel J. Mindiola
University: University of Pennsylvania (USA)
More information: Lecturer web page
2020-02-25 12:00:00 2020-02-25 13:00:00 Europe/Paris Metal-Ligand Multiple Bonds and Some Catalytic Prospects Involving the Conversion of Hydrocarbons to More Value-Added Materials ICIQ Auditorium Lecturer: Prof. Daniel J. Mindiola University of Pennsylvania (USA)

Abstract

In this seminar I will present some highlights of my research program at the University of Pennsylvania.  A component of my seminar will be devoted to synthetic strategies that we apply to prepare reactive complexes having metal-ligand multiple bonds in addition to probing their electronic structure and properties. Some of motifs these include alkylidene and alkylidynes, imides and nitrides, phosphinidenes and chalcogenides. Another component of the presentation will be dedicated to applying some of these systems to small molecule activation, both stoichiometrically and catalytically. Converting natural resources such as methane and ethane, the main components of natural and shale gas, into more value-added materials under mild conditions and using base metals, is one of the main objectives in my research program. As a result, I will discuss the reactivity of a transient titanium alkylidyne (PNP)Ti≡CtBu (pincer PNP = N[2-P(CHMe2)2-4-methylphenyl]2–), as well as some Iridium based reagents that engage in intermolecular C-H activation and functionalization reactions, in some cases catalytically.  In this presentation I will also discuss how systems can dehydrogenate methane, borylate this parent hydrocarbon, as well as convert C2-C8 alkanes selectively by activating the - and -positions selectively to form olefins. In the case of linear alkanes C4-C8, we only observe formation of the terminal olefin without any evidence of isomerization to the internal forms.  The mechanism to this transformation as well as other new reactions such as the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane, C3-C8 alkanes, as well as trapping reactions will be briefly presented and discussed. A new catalytic cycle for transfer dehydrogenation of alkanes will be also introduced in addition to unique platforms to form kinetically stable Ti=CH2 moieties (titanium methylidene) that are relevant to our proposed catalytic cycle. Lastly, I will discuss a new transformation involving the room temperature conversion of methane to an olefin using a titanium alkylidene in cooperation with a redox-active ligand. If time permitted, I will also discuss efforts directed to finding new catalyst by combining computational and high-throughput screening approaches.