Selective hydroamination of terminal alkynes with primary aryl amines is catalyzed by an unprecedented well-defined silica-supported tantalum complex [(≡Si-O-)Ta(η1σ-NEtMe)2(=NtBu)]. A molecular-level characterization of the surface organometallic Ta species was done with the help of characterization tech-niques including as in situ infrared, in situ elemental microanal-ysis, 1H and 13C solid-state NMR (including double and triple quanta sequence), and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. These were complemented by the state-of-the-art DNP-SENS 15N characterization. Several catalytic intermediates have been isolated in particular the 4-membered metallacycle ring inter-mediate resulting from the anti Markovnikov addition of the alkyne to the surface tantalum imido. The mechanism proposed was based on the isolation of all intermediates. A DFT calcula-tion has confirmed all the elementary steps and intermediates that were fully characterized.

The direct hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol using hydrogen is regarded as a potential technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the dependence on fossil fuels. For this technology to become feasible, highly selective and productive catalysts that can operate under a wide range of reaction conditions near thermodynamic conversion are required. Here we combine a CO-producing In oxide catalyst with a methane-producing Co catalyst to obtain an In/Co catalyst for CO2 reduction to methanol. Density functional (DFT) simulations demonstrate that the charge transfer between the Co support and the In oxide film leads to enrichment of the surface of indium oxide with O vacancies, which serve as active sites for selective conversion of CO2 to methanol. Moreover, our simulations suggest that CO2 reduction on Co-supported In2O3–x films will preferentially yield methanol, rather than CO and methane. As a result, the prepared In@Co catalysts produce methanol from CO2 with high selectivity (>80%) and productivity (0.86 gCH3OH gcatalyst–1 h–1) at conversion levels close to thermodynamic equilibrium, even at temperatures as high as 300 °C and at moderate pressures (50 bar).

ABSTRACT: Well-defined single-site silica-supported haf-niaaziridine complex [(≡Si-O-)Hf(η2-MeNCH2)(η1-NMe2)(η1-HNMe2)] was prepared using surface organometallic chemistry. Upon thermal treatment under high vacuum, the grafted spe-cies was converted into an unprecedented hafnium imido, bis-amido, complex [(≡Si-O-)Hf(=NMe)(η1-NMe2)]. The surface complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and the following spectroscopic techniques: infrared, solid-state single and multiple quantum NMR, advanced DNP-SENS, and ex-tended X-ray absorption fine structure. [(≡Si-O-)Hf(=NMe)(η1-NMe2)] catalyzed imine metathesis under mild conditions, and characterization of the reactivity showed that the imido ex-change with N-(4-phenylbenzylidene)benzylamine yielded [(≡Si-O-)Hf (η2-NMeNCH2ArCH2) (η1-NMe2)], demonstrating a kind of 2+2 mechanism involving the imine and the imido, proposed reaction mechanism is also supported by DFT calculations.

The catalytic oxidation of cis-2-butene and propylene with molecular oxygen in the presence of a well-defined surface coordination compound, (≡SiO)2Mo(═O)2, affords acetaldehyde. Using a cis-2-butene/O2 feed at 350–400 °C, the reaction yields a conversion of approximately 10% and an acetaldehyde selectivity of approximately 70%. This performance is maintained up to an experimental time of 20 h in a continuous flow reactor. The Mo(bis-oxo) surface compound was fully characterized by multiple spectroscopic techniques as well as surface microanalysis. The results from quantum mechanics calculations indicate that the reaction proceeds via [2 + 2] cycloaddition/cycloelimination steps with the formation of metalla-oxacyclobutane intermediates, analogous to the Chauvin mechanism in olefin metathesis.

The selective conversion of variously substituted epoxides into the corresponding cyclic carbonates under mild reaction conditions was achieved with mononuclear Fe(III) complexes bearing bis-thioether-diphenolate [OSSO]-type ligands, in combination with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB). For example, propylene carbonate was obtained in 1 h at 35 °C (turnover frequency, TOF = 290 h-1), from propylene oxide and 1 bar of CO2 pressure, using 0.1 mol % of the Fe(III) complex and 0.5 mol % of TBAB. Product divergence is observed only for cyclohexene oxide toward the exclusive formation of the aliphatic polycarbonate (TOF = 165 h-1 at 80 °C and 1 bar of CO2 pressure, using 0.1 mol % of the Fe(III) complex and 0.1 mol % of tetrabutylammonium chloride). Kinetic investigations indicated reaction orders of two and one, with respect to the Fe(III) complex, for the production of propylene carbonate and the poly(cyclohexene carbonate), respectively. The enthalpy and entropy of activation were determined using the Eyring equation [for propylene carbonate: δH‡ = 8.4 ± 0.7 kcal/mol and δS‡ = -33 ± 3 cal/(mol·K); for poly(cyclohexene carbonate): δH‡ = 11.9 ± 0.3 kal/mol and δS‡ = -36 ± 2.2 cal/(mol·K)]. Supported by density functional theory based investigations, we propose a mechanistic scenario in which the rate-limiting step is the bimetallic ring opening of the epoxide, in the case of propylene carbonate, and the monometallic insertion of the epoxide in the growing polymer chain, in the case of poly(cyclohexene carbonate).

Better catalysts are needed to address numerous challenges faced by humanity. In this perspective, we review concepts and tools in theoretical and computational chemistry that can help to accelerate the rational design of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. In particular, we focus on the following three topics: 1) identification of key intermediates and transition states in a reaction using the energetic span model, 2) disentanglement of factors influencing the relative stability of the key species using energy decomposition analysis and the activation strain model, and 3) discovery of new catalysts using volcano relationships. To facilitate wider use of these techniques across different areas, we illustrate their potentials and pitfalls when applied to the study of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts.

The first example of manganese catalyzed semihydrogenation of internal alkynes to (Z)-alkenes using ammonia borane as a hydrogen donor is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by a pincer complex of the earth abundant manganese(II) salt in the absence of any additives, base or super hydride. The ammonia borane smoothly reduces the manganese pre-catalyst [Mn(II)-PNP][Cl]2 to the catalytically active species [Mn(I)-PNP]-hydride in the triplet spin state. This manganese hydride is highly stabilized by complexation with the alkyne substrate. Computational DFT analysis studies of the reaction mechanism rationalizes the origin of stereoselectivity towards formation of (Z)-alkenes.

A chiral iodoarene organocatalyst for the catalytic asymmetric fluorination has been developed. The catalyst was used in the asymmetric fluorination of carbonyl compounds, providing the products with a quaternary stereocenter with high enantioselectivities. Chiral hypervalent iodine difluoride intermediates were generated in situ by treatment of the catalyst with an oxidant and hydrogen fluoride as fluoride source. As such, the α-fluorination of a carbonyl compound was achieved with a nucleophilic fluorine source. A combined computational and experimental approach provided insight into the reaction mechanism and the origin of enantioselectivity.

A well-defined silica-supported monoalkylated tungsten dioxo complex [(Si-O-)W(=O)(CH-Bu)] was prepared by treatment of highly dehydroxylated silica (SiO: silica treated at 700 °C under high vacuum) with an ionic precursor complex [NEt][W(=O)(CH-Bu)]. The identity of the resulting neutral monoalkylated tungsten dioxo surface complex was established by means of elemental microanalysis and spectroscopic studies (IR, solid-state NMR, Raman, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies). The supported tungsten complex was found to act as a precatalyst for the self-metathesis of 1-octene in a batch reactor. The mechanistic implications of this reaction are discussed with the support of DFT calculations highlighting the potential occurrence of thus-far unexplored mechanistic pathways.

A family of copper(I)–NHC azolyl complexes was synthesized and deployed in the hydrosilylation of dicyclo-hexylketone to probe the role of the anionic ligand on catalytic performance. The azolyl ligand is shown to have a crucial role in catalytic activity without the need for additives, and this at very low catalyst loading.