Search results for "Catalysis"
showing 10 items of 5944 documents
Reversible, room-temperature C—C bond activation of benzene by an isolable metal complex
2019
The activation of C-C bonds is of fundamental interest in the construction of complex molecules from petrochemical feedstocks. In the case of the archetypal aromatic hydrocarbon benzene, C-C cleavage is thermodynamically disfavored, and is brought about only by transient highly reactive species generated in situ. Here we show that the oxidative addition of the C-C bond in benzene by an isolated metal complex is not only possible, but occurs at room temperature and reversibly at a single aluminium center in [(NON)Al]- (where NON = 4,5-bis(2,6-diisopropylanilido)-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylxanthene). Selectivity over C-H bond activation is achieved kinetically and allows for the generation…
Mo-Based Oxidizers as Powerful Tools for the Synthesis of Thia- and Selenaheterocycles.
2019
A highly efficient synthetic protocol for the synthesis of thia- and selenaheterocycles has been developed. By employing a MoCl5 -mediated intramolecular dehydrogenative coupling reaction, a broad variety of structural motifs was isolated in yields up to 94 %. The electrophilic key transformation is tolerated by several labile moieties like halides and tertiary alkyl groups. Due to the use of disulfide or diselenide precursors, a high atom efficiency was achieved.
Enzymatic Resolution of 3-oxodicyclopentadiene on a Decagram Scale
2018
The chiral building block 3-oxodicyclopentadiene (1) can be readily resolved on a decagram scale by a short sequence consisting of (1) reduction to the corresponding endo-alcohol, (2) enzymatic oxidative resolution with a ketoreductase enzyme to give (+)-1 and the (+)-form of the endo-alcohol, and (3) reoxidation of the (+)-endo-alcohol with another ketoreductase to give (–)-1. With a selectivity factor of 310, the enantiomeric ratios of the resolved (+)-endo-alcohol and (+)-ketone are both >99:1. Both enzymatic oxidations could be performed with a at least 300:1 substrate/catalyst ratio (w/w).
Why Are Some Enzymes Dimers? Flexibility and Catalysis in Thermotoga maritima Dihydrofolate Reductase
2019
[Image: see text] Dihydrofolate reductase from Thermotoga maritima (TmDFHFR) is a dimeric thermophilic enzyme that catalyzes the hydride transfer from the cofactor NADPH to dihydrofolate less efficiently than other DHFR enzymes, such as the mesophilic analogue Escherichia coli DHFR (EcDHFR). Using QM/MM potentials, we show that the reduced catalytic efficiency of TmDHFR is most likely due to differences in the amino acid sequence that stabilize the M20 loop in an open conformation, which prevents the formation of some interactions in the transition state and increases the number of water molecules in the active site. However, dimerization provides two advantages to the thermophilic enzyme: …
Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of trifluoromethyl-containing tetralin derivatives by sequential (hetero)Michael reaction–intramolecular n…
2017
The enantioselective synthesis of tetralin derivatives bearing a trifluoromethylated all‐carbon quaternary stereocenter has been accomplished through a synthetic sequence comprising an organocatalytic β‐functionalization of ortho‐1‐trifluoromethylvinyl‐(hetero)aromatic conjugated aldehydes followed by the intramolecular nitrone 1,3‐cycloaddition reaction (INCR). Both nitromethane and N‐Cbz‐hydroxylamine were employed as nucleophiles in the initial organocatalytic conjugate addition step, which provided the chiral information required for the subsequent diastereoselective INCR. Although diastereoselectivity was moderate, good yields and enantioselectivities were, in general, obtained. Intere…
MCM-41 silica monoliths with independent control of meso- and macroporosity
2007
Centimetre sized macroporous silica monoliths consisting of MCM-41 have been prepared by a two-step procedure allowing an independent control of the meso- and macro-porosity. In the first step a monolith with a macroporosity tailored between 2 and 20 μm is prepared under acidic medium by a phase separation, named spinodal decomposition, leading to a bicontinuous structure of a silica/polymer phase and a water phase. The monolith is then reacted in an alkaline solution of cetyltrimethyl ammonium to transform the silica skeleton into MCM-41 under conditions which preserve the original morphology and macroporosity of the material. The combination of spinodal decomposition and pseudomorphic tra…
Base-Dependent Stereodivergent Intramolecular Aza-Michael Reaction: Asymmetric Synthesis of 1,3-Disubstituted Isoindolines
2013
The nucleophilic addition (A(N)) / intramolecular aza-Michael reaction (IMAMR) process on Ellman's tert-butylsulfinyl imines, bearing a Michael acceptor in the ortho position, is studied. This reaction affords 1,3-disubstituted isoindolines with a wide range of substituents in good yields and diastereoselectivities. Interestingly, careful choice of the base for the aza-Michael step allows either the cis or the trans diastereoisomers to be exclusively obtained. This stereodivergent cyclization has enabled the synthesis of C2-symmetric bisacetate-substituted isoindolines. In addition, bisacetate isoindolines bearing two well-differentiated ester moieties are also noteworthy because they may a…
Loss of Hyperconjugative Effects Drives Hydride Transfer during Dihydrofolate Reductase Catalysis
2019
Hydride transfer is widespread in nature and has an essential role in applied research. However, the mechanisms of how this transformation occurs in living organisms remain a matter of vigorous debate. Here, we examined dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme that catalyzes hydride from C4′ of NADPH to C6 of 7,8-dihydrofolate (H2F). Despite many investigations of the mechanism of this reaction, the contribution of polarization of the π-bond of H2F in driving hydride transfer remains unclear. H2F was stereospecifically labeled with deuterium β to the reacting center, and β-deuterium kinetic isotope effects were measured. Our experimental results combined with analysis derived from QM/MM si…
Enhancing Selectivity In Photocatalytic Formation Of P-Anisaldehyde In Aqueous Suspension Under Solar Light Irradiation Via Tio2 N-Doping
2012
The photocatalytic partial oxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde (p-anisaldehyde) was performed under simulated solar irradiation by using home prepared N-doped TiO2 catalysts. The photocatalysts were prepared by a sol–gel method, using TiCl4 as TiO2 precursor and NH4Cl, urea or NH4OH as N-doping sources. A commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25) was also used for comparison aims. The prepared catalysts were characterized by BET specific surface area, XRD, ESEM and UV-vis spectroscopy. The reactivity results show that (i) the doped catalysts are predominantly amorphous, and they show selectivity values far higher than those of the corresponding undoped ones and of well cr…
Asymmetric hydrogenation of an α-unsaturated carboxylic acid catalyzed by intact chiral transition metal carbonyl clusters – diastereomeric control o…
2020
Twenty clusters of the general formula [(μ-H)2Ru3(μ3-S)(CO)7(μ-P–P*)] (P–P* = chiral diphosphine of the ferrocene-based Walphos or Josiphos families) have been synthesised and characterised. The clusters have been tested as catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation of tiglic acid [trans-2-methyl-2-butenoic acid]. The observed enantioselectivities and conversion rates strongly support catalysis by intact Ru3 clusters. A catalytic mechanism involving an active Ru3 catalyst generated by CO loss from [(μ-H)2Ru3(μ3-S)(CO)7(μ-P–P*)] has been investigated by DFT calculations. peerReviewed