PROJECT 3

Various transition metal complexes involving metal-to-ligand multiple bonds can be utilized for various C-C, C-N and C-O coupling reactions via a group transfer and/or C-H bond activation. Due to the importance of atom economy in synthesis and environmentally benign chemical industry, such species have attracted much attention in recent years particularly for the group transfer reactions. Stability of such metal complexes can be adjusted by altering/tuning a local geometry and electronics about a metal ion, where the reactive intermediate species can be dramatically stabilized at room temperature. Our research is currently targeting to stabilize and isolate such unstable species with the 1st-row late transition metals and ultimately utilize their reactive tendency for the catalytic group transfer chemistry. In particular, nitrene group transfer with various amido nitrate to dinitrogen by a single nickel complex was investigated. The PNP nickel scaffold can nicely reduce NOx species in moderate conditions. The entire conversion is the first example to show a full denitrification with a single metal complex, and it has the potential to be a cornerstone of the future DeNOx catalyst system.

Selected Publications