Ferrocene-based Chiral Intramolecular Frustrated Lewis Pairs

• Applicant: Dr. Alain Charly Tagne Kuate
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 240618423

The research project deals with the appropriate design of 1,2-ferrocenyl ligands bearing sterically encumbered Lewis acids and bulky Lewis bases. The goal of the work is to generate Lewis pairs featuring planar and central chirality and that are capable of: i) heterolytic dihydrogen cleavage to give the zwitterionic species [LAH]-[LBH]+ (LA = Lewis acid, LB = Lewis base), which can further transfer the two hydrogen atoms as a proton and an hydride, allowing the Lewis pair to be used as catalyst for the asymmetric hydrogenation of organic substrates and as hydride transfer catalyst; ii) activation of R3E-H (E = C, Si) bonds permitting application of the Lewis pair for example in catalytic asymmetric hydrosilylation and C-H borylation reactions;iii) behavior as ambiphilic ligand for the cooperative coordination of transition metals through M-E back bonding interactions that can plays a vital role in catalytic cross coupling reactions;(iii) activation and fixation of small molecules such as CO2, N2O, P4, alkenes, dienes and alkynes, which will provide thrilling possibilities to explore new reaction pathways.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Frieder Jäkle