2 research outputs found
Alkane Functionalization via Electrophilic Activation
Electrophilic activation, which may be defined as the substitution of a
transition metal center for a proton to generate a new metalâcarbon bond, is the
basis of a number of promising approaches to selective catalytic functionalization
of alkanes. The field was introduced by the groundbreaking chemistry exhibited by
aqueous chloroplatinum complexes, reported by Shilov in the early 1970s. Since
then the field has expanded greatly, and electrophilic alkane activation has been
demonstrated using a wide variety of species. These include ligand-supported
platinum complexes; complexes of additional late transition metals, most commonly
palladium but also iridium, gold and others; and even post-transition metals
such as mercury. That body of work is surveyed here, with particular emphasis on
mechanistic understanding, examples of actual functionalization at sp^3-hybridized
CâH bonds in alkanes and related compounds, and assessment of the further
development that will be needed for practical applications