Site isolated complexes of late transition metals grafted on silica: challenges and chances for synthesis and catalysis

Grafting, quo vadis? The reasons for the aggregation of late transition metal complexes on oxide supports under reducing conditions and/or in the presence of π-accepting ligands are discussed, and strategies are suggested to prevent it.

Rational design of single-site heterogeneous catalysts: towards high chemo-, regio- and stereoselectivity

The main methods for the design and preparation of single-site heterogeneous catalysts on inorganic oxide supports are described and reviewed. Catalytically active metal sites can be either introduced into the framework of porous materials via direct synthesis or added to a pre-existing support by post-synthesis techniques. Particular attention is paid to selected examples where the geometry, the nature and the chemical surroundings of the active single site is a key factor to obtain catalytic systems with enhanced chemo-, regio- and stereoselectivity. The ever-increasing capabilities of ‘nanoarchitecture’ at molecular level enable chemists to build ideal catalysts for the sustainable transformation of bulky and high added-value molecules.

Preparation of new catalysts by the immobilization of palladium(II) species onto silica: an investigation of their catalytic activity for the cyclization of aminoalkynes

Silica-immobilized palladium catalysts are readily prepared by treating partially dehydroxylated silica with solutions of the palladium(II) complexes, cis-[PdMeXL2] (X = Me, L2 = dmpe; X = Cl, L2 = dmpe, dppe, phen, bipy, 2PMe3), trans-[PdMeXL2] (X = Cl, NO3, OTf, L = PMe3; X = Cl, L = PPh3), or [PdPh(OH)L]2 (L = PPh3, PCy3), at room temperature. A chemisorption reaction is presumed to occur on the surface Si-OH groups, with elimination of 1 equiv of methane, benzene, or water and the initial formation of a covalent Pd-O bond to the silica surface. The amount of chemisorbed material is strongly dependent on the nature of the complex employed, and the Pd content of the materials, determined by ICP analysis, was found to vary widely (from 1.47 to 0.021 wt %). It appears that the complexes stabilized by more basic ligands undergo a more facile reaction with the surface. The catalytic activity of the materials was first tested in the cyclization of 6-aminohex-1-yne. Higher conversions were found for those catalysts containing more basic ligands, due to the higher loadings, and for those complexes containing more weakly coordinating anions. Silica/trans-[PdMe(NO3)(PMe3)2] was identified as the best catalyst and was used to test the generality of the catalytic cyclization method with two other alkynes, namely, 5-phenyl-4-pentyn-1-amine and 6-phenyl-5-hexyn-1-amine. The catalysts prepared here show rates comparable to, or greater than, those found for homogeneous late transition metal complexes, including their molecular precursors. Furthermore, the supported catalysts are only slightly air-sensitive and can be recycled, after filtration in air, with only moderate loss of activity.