Synthesis of transition metal N-heterocyclic carbene complexes and applications in catalysis

Les ligands de carbènes N-hétérocycliques (NHC) qui possèdent une symétrie C1 attirent beaucoup l’attention dans la littérature. Le présent projet de recherche propose de synthétiser une nouvelle série de ligands NHC C1-symétriques avec deux groupements N-alkyles qui exploitent un relais chiral. Un protocole modulaire et efficace pour la synthèse des sels d’imidazolium chiraux qui servent comme préligands pour les NHC a été développé. Quelques-uns de ces nouveaux ligands ont été installés sur le cuivre et de l’or, créant de nouveaux complexes chiraux. Les nouveaux complexes à base de cuivre ont été évalués comme catalyseurs pour le couplage oxydatif de 2-naphthols. Les ligands C1-symmétriques ont fourni des meilleurs rendements que les ligands C2-symmétriques. Au cours de l’optimisation, des additifs ont été évalués; les additifs à base de pyridine ont fourni des énantiosélectivités modérées tandis que les additifs à base de malonate ont donné des meilleurs rendements de la réaction de couplage oxydatif. Ultérieurement, les additifs à base de malonate ont été appliqués envers l’hétérocouplage de 2-naphthols. Le partenaire de couplage qui est riche en électrons est normalement en grand excès à cause de sa tendance à dégrader. Avec le bénéfice de l’additif, les deux partenaires de couplage peuvent être utilisés dans des quantités équivalentes. La découverte de l’effet des additifs a permis le développement d’un protocole général pour l’hétérocouplage de 2-naphthols.A new class of C1-symmetric N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands has been developed. The new ligands exploit a biaryl methyne as a chiral relay, and an N-methyl group as a reactivity controlling element. The precursors for the new ligands were synthesized via a modular scheme that allows for facile diversification. Several of the new ligands were installed onto both copper and gold, generating mono N-heterocyclic carbene transition metal complexes. The new C1-symmetric copper complexes were tested as catalysts for the synthesis of binaphthols via the oxidative coupling of electron poor 2-naphthols. The new C1-symmetric ligands afforded higher yields than their C2-symmetric counterparts. During the course of the optimization, small molecule additives were found to modulate the reactivity of the copper catalyst. Pyridine additives, such as 2-picoline, were found to induce low to moderate enantioselectivity in the oxidative coupling reaction, while diethylmalonate was found to improve the reaction yield without affecting the selectivity. The malonate additive was employed in the catalytic oxidative heterocoupling of electronically dissimilar 2-naphthols. The electron-rich coupling partner is normally added in a large excess due to its tendency to degrade. When the malonate additive is used, the coupling partners can be used in equimolar quantities. The discovery resulted in the development of a general protocol for the additive assisted aerobic oxidative heterocoupling of electronically dissimilar 2-naphthols

Overview of the first Wendelstein 7-X long pulse campaign with fully water-cooled plasma facing components

After a long device enhancement phase, scientific operation resumed in 2022. The main new device components are the water cooling of all plasma facing components and the new water-cooled high heat flux divertor units. Water cooling allowed for the first long-pulse operation campaign. A maximum discharge length of 8 min was achieved with a total heating energy of 1.3 GJ. Safe divertor operation was demonstrated in attached and detached mode. Stable detachment is readily achieved in some magnetic configurations but requires impurity seeding in configurations with small magnetic pitch angle within the edge islands. Progress was made in the characterization of transport mechanisms across edge magnetic islands: Measurement of the potential distribution and flow pattern reveals that the islands are associated with a strong poloidal drift, which leads to rapid convection of energy and particles from the last closed flux surface into the scrape-off layer. Using the upgraded plasma heating systems, advanced heating scenarios were developed, which provide improved energy confinement comparable to the scenario, in which the record triple product for stellarators was achieved in the previous operation campaign. However, a magnetic configuration-dependent critical heating power limit of the electron cyclotron resonance heating was observed. Exceeding the respective power limit leads to a degradation of the confinement

Grafting of Copper(I)–NHC species on MCM-41: Homogeneous versus heterogeneous catalysis

The copper(I) complexes [Cu(X){2,6-diisopropylphenyl–NHC–(CH2)3Si(OiPr)3}] (X=Cl (2 a); I (2 b), NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene) have been synthesized and characterized. Furthermore, the structure of 2 b has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Complex 2 a has been successfully anchored in MCM-41 to afford 2–MCM-41. The activity of both the homogeneous, 2 a, and heterogeneous, 2–MCM-41, catalysts in acetophenone hydrosilylation with HSiEt3 and [3+2] cycloaddition of benzyl azide and phenylacetylene has been investigated. The heterogeneous catalyst exhibits catalytic activity for the cycloaddition reaction though, unexpectedly, shows no catalytic activity for hydrosilylation.The support from MINECO/FEDER (projects CONSOLIDER INGENIO-2010 MULTICAT CSD2009-00050 and CTQ2013-42532-P) and DGA/FSE (group E07) is acknowledged.Peer reviewe