Modern Methods and Applications of Catalysis

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Modern Methods and Applications of Catalysis.This module will introduce students to recent developments in catalytic chemistry of use in synthetic chemistry. Many transition metals mediate synthetic transformations and the most useful are those that do so using catalytic amounts of metal, normally bound to ligands which help to solubilise the complexes. The ligands employed also can serve to accelerate catalysis and in special cases can be of use in asymmetric synthesis. This course is divided into three sections, the first of which describes the applications of Pd-catalysis to modern organic synthesis. Emphasis will be placed on Heck reaction, cross-couplings, aryl aminations and ether formations, CO insertions and allylic substitution. The second section features recent advances in hydroformylation and olefin metathesis. The final section outlines the applications and mechanisms of organocatalysis, with an emphasis on asymmetric transformations.