Cooperative Effects in Iron Catalysts

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Robert Langer
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2012 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 228480522

With the current project we are aiming to identify construction principles of iron-based pre-catalysts for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions, which are likely leading to the development of more active catalysts. This includes the systematic variation of parameters for a certain combination of ligands, that turns out to result in highly active iron catalysts. In addition to the intended changes in the ligand moiety, which directly influence steric and electronic properties of the corresponding iron complexes, the mode of action of so called cooperative sites is of particular importance. This essential part of the ligand is in most cases an acidic donor group, which is able to provide reversibly a proton. As the variation of this side causes a fundamental change in the reactivity of the corresponding iron complexes, we are aiming to develop a new concept of metal-ligand cooperation, which possibly leads to new catalytic applications. Based on the observed reactivity it seems possible that highly reactive iron fragments can be stabilized be reversible redox steps. These iron fragments are known to react under oxidative addition with many substrates and there reversible stabilization can lead to new catalytic applications and the extension of the concept of metal-ligand cooperation.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants