Abstract
Modern organic chemistry relies on the use of transition metal catalysis to assemble new molecular linkages, but it is still limited to the manipulation of relatively reactive bonds, such as C- (pseudo)halides. Great efforts have been directed towards the discovery of new strategies for the transformation of ubiquitous C-H bonds (including my MSCA-IF project) but much less is known about the direct functionalization of C-C bonds, which represent the skeleton of all organic molecules; the only rare examples in this regard tackle the C-C activation in reactive, strained systems. My goal is to develop a new strategy that targets C-C bond activation in unstrained compounds, such as simple olefins, arguably the largest group of feedstocks available from fossil hydrocarbons and renewable energies, with annual million-dollar scale markets worldwide. To do so, I will implement niobium (Nb) catalysis, due to a number of favourable properties of this metal, compared to other transition metals. Among them, Nb is very cheap and non-toxic – representing a more sustainable and safer alternative to precious metals – and forms strong C-Nb bonds. Although, niobium has been employed largely in stoichiometric reactions, the few examples of its catalytic use represent a solid ground for the successful discovery of new catalytic reactions. I propose a novel reaction mechanism which will unlock the desired reactivity and will be applicable to the development of a large number of different dealkylative transformations, from olefins upconversion (olefin-to-alkyne) to crosscoupling methods. I will proceed with i) the synthesis and study of new Nb-complexes specifically designed to undergo the proposed mechanism, ii) benchmark their catalytic activity, and then move to iii) the development of highly sought-after cross-coupling methods, where the molecular skeleton itself is edited, without the need for the installation of reactive functional groups. Finally, I will apply this dealkylative Nb-catalysis to iv) the polymerization of plastics – a highly topical problem from society – to obtain value-added monomers that can potentially re-enter the production chain, thus establishing a circular economy for this highly consumed material (waste valorization).
Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Ciro Romano
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale "Toso Montanari"
Coordinatore:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Costo totale di progetto: Euro (EUR) 299.979,80
Contributo totale di progetto: Euro (EUR) 299.979,80
Costo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 299.979,80
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 299.979,80
Durata del progetto in mesi: 36
Data di inizio
16/06/2025
Data di fine:
15/06/2028
