Date/Time
28.11.2024
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location
Lecture Hall 55.02
Pfaffenwaldring 55
70569 Stuttgart
We are very happy to welcome within the CRC 1333 Colloquium Series:
Thursday, November 28, 2024, 2:00-3:00 pm
University of York, UK
Topic: “Solid-State Molecular OrganoMetallic Chemistry: Sigma Alkane Complexes, C–H Activation and Crystalline Molecular Factories“
Research in the Weller group is based upon synthetic organometallic chemistry and catalysis, and in particular the generation and stabilisation of transition metal complexes with a low coordination number. These complexes often show very interesting, and novel, structures that display C–H, B–H and C–C bonding modes (via agostic or sigma interactions).
Abstract:
Organometallic synthesis and catalysis are normally performed in the homogeneous solution state, where the advantages of metal/ligand catalyst design provide exquisite control over fundamental mechanistic steps. Such control, through precise atomic precision, is more challenging for heterogeneous systems. Bridging the gaps between the two areas are highly-active supported molecular catalysts (surface organometallic catalysis) that lead to very active catalysts, but still present challenges in precise catalyst speciation and mechanistic elucidation. We have been developing an alternative approach to, so-called, solid-state molecular organometallic chemistry (SMOM), where we study synthesis and reactivity in crystallo using well-defined organometallic complexes. These studies have focused on the synthesis and characterisation of highly reactive species that can be isolated using “crystalline matrix isolation methods”. Consideration of the likely surfaces of such molecular organometallic crystals as single atom catalytic sites offers possibilities and opportunities for catalysis.
In this presentation I discuss our approach to organometallic chemistry in single-crystals (SMOM) by outlining the synthesis and reactivity of complexes that are almost impossible to prepare stable in solution (e.g. sigma-alkane complexes), and their use in industrially-relevant catalysis such as ethene to propene (ETP) or the catalytic generation hyperpolarised gases for potential imaging applications.
The CRC cordially invites all who are interested to the lecture.