Transition metal catalyzed reductive couplings under hydrogenative and transfer hydrogenative conditions

Abstract

Environmental concerns have birthed an awareness of how we conduct ourselves as citizens of this planet. To reduce environmental impact, we have learned that we must be responsible stewards in all ranges of life: from buying locally grown food to how scientific research and industrial processes are executed. In the realm of chemical research, "green chemistry" has initiated the development of new, sustainable methods that make use of atom economy, step economy, and utilize renewable materials to minimize waste and production of toxic by-products. The formation of carbon-carbon bonds lies at the very heart of organic synthesis, and traditional methods for forming such bonds generally require the use of at least one stoichiometrically preformed organometallic reagent. This corresponds to at least one equivalent of metallic waste byproduct. The in situ formation of alkyl metal nucleophiles for carbonyl additions via hydrogenation of [pi]-unsaturates represents an alternative to use of preformed organometallic reagents. Comprising nearly 90% of the atoms in the universe, hydrogen is vastly abundant and very cheap. The Krische group seeks to contribute new technologies which make use of catalytic hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation in the reductive coupling of basic chemical feedstocks.