Metallocene-based Novel Lewis-Pairs; Synthesis, Coordination Behavior, Molecular Activation

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Gerhard Erker
• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2012 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 208319402

In the first three year phase of the project we have developed and characterized several active new organometallic frustrated Lewis pairs (omFLPs). These were used for small molecule activation and for the development of e.g. active new hydrogenation catalysts. In the second phase of the project we want to use some of these systems to develop chiral version for application in asymmetric hydrogenation catalysis. We will use terpene and steroid modified bent metallocenes as the stereochemically controlling units in these new systems. In addition we shall use our new approaches to organometallic FLPs for generating novel FLP frameworks and use them in the development of new approaches to catalytic hydroamination (or hydrophosphination) of conjugated dienes or alkynes. Eventually we have planned to use the very robust heteroatom containing members of our new omFLP development for carbon monoxide hydrogenation and coupling. We anticipate that we can find new chemical reactions based on coupling of CO at the omFLP framework with a variety of small molecules including carbon dioxide, another equivalent of CO, sulfur dioxide and even nitric oxide (NO).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants