Solid-State Molecular Organometallic (SMOM) Chemistry: Transition-metal catalysed hydroformylation reactions in the molecular single-crystal

• Applicant: Dr. Thomas Maier
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2020 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 450552191

The main goal of the project is to understand the reactivity of organometallic molecules in the solid state at a fundamental level and then harness this in an industrially relevant catalytic process. The “enzyme-like” encapsulated microenvironment of the anion framework will provide a platform for highly selective reactions, as well as spatially isolating reactive cationic metal centres to retard deactivation by clustering. The hydroformylation of light gaseous alkenes is an ideal catalytic process to study because it captures all of these open questions and is an industrially relevant chemical transformation. A comparison to catalysis in solution will highlight the effect of the molecular solid-state environment, in particular selectivity, stability, and deployment in flow-reactor conditions. This project will make a significant contribution to the development of heterogeneous catalysis using solid-state molecular organometallic chemistry by the study of these catalytic processes at a molecular level.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Professor Andrew Weller, Ph.D.