Development of Nickel-based Catalysts for Carbon-Oxygen Bond Formation.

Abstract

By Amanuel Haile, Chemistry; Weikang Zhang, chemistry-ACS; Nathan Ranly, Chemistry-ACS

Advisor: Hairong Guan

Presentation ID: AM_D30

Abstract: Carbon-oxygen cross-coupling reactions have experienced increased interest in recent years due to their use in the synthesis of pharmaceutical drugs and agrochemicals. As a result, the demand for catalysts that can promote these reactions is increasing rapidly. Palladium based complexes are known to catalyze carbon-oxygen bond formation reactions; however, palladium is an expensive and scarce metal. In comparison, nickel is inexpensive and earth abundant. To develop nickel based catalysts, pincer ligands are chosen as chelating agents due to their ability to stabilize metal complexes and high modularity. In particular, different substituents can be introduced to pincer ligands to create different steric and electronic environments. In this research, three different ligands have been synthesized and successfully coordinated to nickel. The resulting nickel complexes have been characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Preliminary catalytic reactions are being investigated using iodobenzene and sodium phenoxide as substrates.