Biomimetic catalysis with immobilized transition metal complexes

The tetradentate chelate ligand tris[(1-vinylimidazol-2-yl)methyl]amine (10) was synthesized in five steps from commercially available starting materials. Upon reaction with MCl2 (M = Zn, Cu, Ni, Co) in the presence of NH4PF6, the complexes [M(10)Cl]PF6 (M = Zn (11), Cu (12), Co (14)) and [Ni(10)Cl]2(PF6)2 (13) were obtained. The structure of all complexes was determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Immobilization of 11 and 12 was achieved by copolymerization with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) to obtain P11-Zn and P12-Cu. Immobilized versions of 13 and 14 have been generated by cleavage the metal from P12-Cu and subsequent assembly of MCl2 (M = Ni (P12-Ni), Co (P12-Co)). The supported complexes P11-Zn, P12-Cu, P12-Ni, and P12-Co were found to be efficient catalysts for the hydrolysis of bis(ρ-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) at 50 °C. At pH 9.5, the heterogeneous catalyst P12-Cu was 56 times more active than the homogeneous catalyst 12. Partitioning effects, which increase the local concentration of BNPP in the polymer, are shown to contribute to the enhanced activity of the immobilized catalyst. The tridentate N,N',N''-chelate ligand tris(1-vinylimidazol-2-yl)phosphine (20) was synthesized from commercially available starting materials. Three immobilized Cu(II) complexes were generated by the following: (a) homopolymerization of 20 and subsequent metalation with CuCl2; (b) copolymerization of 20 with EGDMA and subsequent metalation with CuCl2; or (c) molecular imprinting with the organometallic Mo-complex Mo(η3-C4H7)(CO)2(20) (28) and EGDMA and subsequent replacement of Mo(II) by Cu(II). All three polymeric Cu complexes were found to very efficiently promote the hydrolysis of activated phosphoesters with the relative activity being dependent on the nature of the polymer and the substrate. The complex Fe2O(CH3COO)(10)23 (42) was synthesized and structurally investigated by single crystal X-ray crystallography. After copolymerization with EGDMA and subsequent replacement of Fe(III) by Cu(II), Zn(II) or Mn(III), hydrolysis and oxidation reactions were investigated. A higher activity compared to the corresponding monometallic immobilized complexes was observed. This increase in activity is most likely caused by cooperative effects.

Highly cross-linked polymers containing N,N ',N ''-chelate ligands for the Cu(II)-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoesters

Alexander Schiller, Kay Severin

Three immobilized Cu(II) complexes were generated by the following: (a) homopolymerization of the N,N',N '' chelate ligand tris[2-(1-vinylimidazolyl)]phosphine (1) and subsequent metalation with CuCl2; (b) copolymerization of 1 with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) und subsequent metalation with CuCl2; or (c) molecular imprinting with the organometallic Mo-complex (Mo(eta(3)-C4H7)(CO)(2)(1)](TsO) (5) and EGDMA and subsequent replacement of Mo(II) by Cu(II). All three polymeric Cu complexes were found to efficiently promote the hydrolysis of activated phosphoesters with the relative activity being dependent on the nature of the polymer and the substrate.

2005

Synthetic methodologies for C-C and C-N bond formation involving alkyl radicals

Guido Barzanò

C-C and C-N bonds are some of the most common structures in molecules ranging from drugs to catalysts and to food additives. Many coupling reactions were developed to form these types of bonds with excellent selectivity and good performance. Still, the synthesis of some of those species either depends on traditional methods or requires expensive and rare reagents and catalysts. The use of precious metals in chemistry, and particularly in the industry, can make molecular synthesis expensive and energy-intensive since the extraction of those materials is costly. Moreover, in homogeneous catalysis, the recovery of metal-based catalysts is almost impossible, making these processes unsustainable for the future. Thus, the discovery of chemical reactions that donât involve precious materials is indispensable. This thesis concentrates on the development of two chemical transformations, one performing an sp2-sp3 radical reductive coupling, one performing a photocatalyzed alkyl amination, involving inexpensive reagents and catalysts. The first chapter reviews the existing methodologies which use alkyl radicals to form carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bonds. Alkyl radicals are formed from alkyl halides and pseudo-halides (Acids, esters, tosylates, etc.) via oxidation or reduction performed by metal or photoredox catalyst. The wide variety of available methodologies was illustrated, highlighting the advantages and weaknesses of each reaction. The second chapter of this dissertation is devoted to the development of a new iron-based catalytic method to form stereoselectively Z-alkene boron species from the corresponding boron-alkyne. This novel stereoselective method opens a new way to obtain these types of molecules with cheap reagents, in high yields, with excellent stereoselectivity (Z:E ratio >10:1), and with good tolerance of functional group. The reaction is radical based, avoiding the problem of beta-hydride elimination, which usually occurs in ionic reactions involving metal centers. In order to prove the versatility of this method, the vinyl boron compound formed from this reaction was used for further functionalizations. The formal total synthesis of a 5-HT2c receptor agonist was successfully performed, improving the overall yield of the process, and avoiding the use of expensive and polluting chemicals. The third chapter of this thesis is concentrated on the development of a tandem photoredox/metal base catalyzed functionalization of anilines and imines with alkyl carboxylic esters. In this reaction, no late transition metal is used, and the traditional metal-based photocatalyst is substituted with an inexpensive and more efficient organic dye. The alkylation of amines is a challenging topic in organic chemistry and classical nucleophilic substitution lacks selectivity and scope. Harvesting visible light with a photoredox catalyst opens the possibility to a radical pathway, making this coupling easy and with high tolerance for functional groups. In order to understand the catalytic cycle of the reaction, additional mechanistic studies were conducted, leading to some insight on how this reaction works.

EPFL2020

Emission reduction by targeted transient operations in three-way catalysts for heavy-duty natural gas applications

Moyu Wang

To curb the severe effects of climate change, our society needs to radically reduce its CO2 footprint. For the heavy-duty sector, where electrification is difficult, alternative fuels can be the solution. Methane-fueled engines have lower energy-specific CO2 emissions than conventional Diesel-fueled engines. Furthermore, they have the potential of becoming carbon-neutral, when combined with bio-methane/synthetic methane. However, oxidation of unburnt methane in the exhaust gas poses a challenge for aftertreatment systems. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the mechanism of methane abatement and to reveal methods to reduce methane and other hazardous gas emissions. The majority of the experiments were conducted directly on an engine test bench, which is rarely seen in studies focusing on catalytic reaction pathways. Initial investigations focused on methane abatement under steady state and Î»-step transitions. Under steady state, the presence of oxygen was identified as a prerequisite for methane conversion. Reacting with oxygen is the only methane conversion pathway. However, after step transition from oxygen excess conditions (slightly lean) to oxygen-poor conditions (slightly rich), high methane conversion was observed under rich conditions with no oxygen available. This high conversion was attributed to steam reforming (SR), which was activated by the step transition. The SR reaction rate decreased over time when staying at rich conditions, until full deactivation. Investigations in the lab-scale model gas reactor confirmed this analysis. In addition, the reason for SR deactivation was identified by DRIFTS measurements as the accumulation of carbonates on the catalytic surface, blocking the active sites. Based on the identified importance of the SR reaction, targeted Î» oscillations across stoichiometry were introduced, in order to repeatably activate SR and achieve sustainable high methane conversion. During the rich parts of the oscillations, methane was converted via SR, while, during lean parts, the carbonates were periodically removed from the catalyst surface. With these oscillations, methane conversion has been significantly improved, in comparison to steady state. In parallel, a numerical model has been developed in order to simulate the catalyst behavior under oscillating conditions. The model provided insights on the reaction pathways and their distribution along the catalyst axis. The catalytic activity of the different Platinum-group metals has been investigated for the identified reactions. Various catalysts of different compositions were tested under cold start, Î» oscillations and quasi-steady state conditions. Both Pt and Pd activated SR reactions, however SR attenuation was faster in Pt catalysts. In lean conditions, Pt exhibited higher methane oxidation. Rh was identified as important for enhancing NOx reduction and lowering NH3 emissions. The combination of all three metals has improved the overall catalyst performances. In the final part of the thesis, a special aftertreatment system was investigated. It combines a Pd/Rh catalyst subject to stoichiometric conditions with a Pt oxidation catalyst subject to lean conditions. In the Pd/Rh catalyst, methane was removed via Î» oscillations. In the Pt catalyst, the remaining CO, H2 and NH3 were oxidized. The setup provided a novel perspective in reducing the overall environmental impacts.