Études de mécanismes de réactions catalytiques : développement de nouveaux outils et application à l'optimisation de réactions

In this thesis mechanistic studies of metal-catalyzed reactions as well as development of new tools to predict and rationalize the catalytic properties are presented. The boron-tonickel transmetalation step was thoroughly studied by experimental technics (electrochemistry, NMR, kinetics) and DFT calculations, allowing us to solve some of the limitation encountered by the synthetic chemists. In the second part of this thesis the behavior of a family of Lewis acids (triflates and triflimides) is rationalize. Two model reactions (SN and redox) were studied and a new theoretical scale of Lewis acidity was developed based on the charge transferred to the acid allowing us to reproduce and predict the catalytic activity of these salts.Cette thèse est consacrée à l’étude de mécanismes de réactions catalysées par des métaux ainsi qu’au développement de nouveaux outils pour la rationalisation et la prévision du comportement catalytique. L’étape de transmétallation entre le bore et le nickel a été étudiée en détail à l’aide de méthodes expérimentales variées (electrochimie, RMN, cinétiques) et par DFT, permettant d’expliquer certaines limitations rencontrées par les experimentateurs. La seconde partie de cette thèse est dédiée à la rationalisation du comportement d’une famille d’acides de Lewis : les sels de triflate et de triflimidate. Leur comportement a été étudié sur des réactions modèles d’amination et d’oxidation et une nouvelle échelle théorique d’acidité de Lewis basée sur l’estimation du transfert de charge vers l’acide à permis de reproduire et prévoir l’activité catalytique

Heterogeneous alkane dehydrogenation catalysts investigated via a surface organometallic chemistry approach

The selective conversion of light alkanes (C2–C6 saturated hydrocarbons) to the corresponding alkene is an appealing strategy for the petrochemical industry in view of the availability of these feedstocks, in particular with the emergence of Shale gas. Here, we present a review of model dehydrogenation catalysts of light alkanes prepared via surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC). A specific focus of this review is the use of molecular strategies for the deconvolution of complex heterogeneous materials that are proficient in enabling dehydrogenation reactions. The challenges associated with the proposed reactions are highlighted, as well as overriding themes that can be ascertained from the systematic study of these challenging reactions using model SOMC catalysts.ISSN:0306-0012ISSN:1460-474

Salt-Enhanced Oxidative Addition of Iodobenzene to Pd: an Inter-play Between Cation, Anion and Pd-Pd Cooperative Effects

Halide salts facilitate the oxidative addition of organic halides to Pd(0). This phenomenon originates from a combina-tion of anionic, cationic and Pd-Pd cooperative effects. Exhaustive computational exploration at the DFT level of the com-plexes obtained from [Pd0(PPh3)2] and a salt (NMe4Cl or LiCl) showed that chlorides promote phosphine release, leading to a mixture of mononuclear and dinuclear Pd(0) complexes. Anionic Pd(0) dinuclear complexes exhibit a cooperativity between Pd(0) centers which favors the oxidative addition of iodobenzene. The higher activity of Pd(0) dimers toward oxidative addition rationalizes the previously reported kinetic laws. In the presence of Li+, the oxidative addition to mon-onuclear [Pd0L(Li2Cl2)] is estimated barrierless. LiCl coordination polarizes Pd(0), enlarging both the electrophilicity and the nucleophilicity of the complex, which promotes both coordination of the substrate and the subsequent insertion into the C-I bond. These conclusions are paving the way to the rational use of salt effect in catalysis for the activation of more challenging bonds

Taming Nickel-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling: A Mechanistic Focus on Boron-to-Nickel Transmetalation

International audienc

Grafting of Group-10 Organometallic Complexes on Silicas: Differences and Similarities, Surprises and Rationale

Surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) represents a unique synthetic platform for the preparation of model heterogeneous catalysts resembling those broadly applied in industry. SOMC techniques usually rely on the grafting of tailored molecular precursors onto the surface OH groups of oxide supports. The development of such precursors and the understanding of their reactivity with the supports are therefore crucial for the development of well-defined surface species. While a large number of organometallic precursors of early transition metals are known, only few examples of group-10 metal complexes are reported, in spite of the great interest for heterogeneous catalysts based on the Pt-group elements. Herein, we report the reactivity of a family of group-10 (Ni, Pd and Pt) alkyl complexes, towards partially dehydroxylated SiO2 yielding well-defined supported species. We studied the effect of the metal, ligand, and support on the grafting mechanism of such precursors through a combined experimental and computational approach. Ultimately, we showed that at least two grafting pathways are possible for these compounds, namely the protonolysis of the M-alkyl bond by surface OH groups and the opening of strained siloxane bridges: the proportion of the two depending on the nature of the metal and its ancillary ligand.ISSN:0018-019XISSN:1522-267

Copper-Catalyzed Homocoupling of Boronic Acids: A Focus on B-to-Cu and Cu-to-Cu Transmetalations

Controlling and understanding the Cu-catalyzed homocoupling reaction is crucial to prompt the development of efficient Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The presence of a coordinating base (hydroxide and methoxide) enables the B-to-Cu(II) transmetalation from aryl boronic acid to CuIICl2 in methanol, through the formation of mixed Cu-(μ-OH)-B intermediates. A second B-to-Cu transmetalation to form bis-aryl Cu(II) complexes is disfavored. Instead, organocopper(II) dimers undergo a coupled transmetalation-electron transfer (TET) allowing the formation of bis-organocopper(III) complexes readily promoting reductive elimination. Based on this mechanism some guidelines are suggested to control the undesired formation of homocoupling product in Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

Assigning H-1 chemical shifts in paramagnetic mono- and bimetallic surface sites using DFT: a case study on the Union Carbide polymerization catalyst

The Union Carbide (UC) ethylene polymerization catalyst, based on silica-supported chromocene, is one of the first industrial catalysts prepared by surface organometallic chemistry, though the structure of the surface sites remains elusive. Recently, our group reported that monomeric and dimeric Cr(ii) sites, as well as Cr(iii) hydride sites, are present and that their proportion varies as a function of the Cr loading. While H-1 chemical shifts extracted from solid-state H-1 NMR spectra should be diagnostic of the structure of such surface sites, unpaired electrons centered on Cr atoms induce large paramagnetic H-1 shifts that complicate their NMR analysis. Here, we implement a cost-efficient DFT methodology to calculate H-1 chemical shifts for antiferromagnetically coupled metal dimeric sites using a Boltzmann-averaged Fermi contact term over the population of the different spin states. This method allowed us to assign the H-1 chemical shifts observed for the industrial-like UC catalyst. The presence of monomeric and dimeric Cr(ii) sites, as well as a dimeric Cr(iii)-hydride sites, was confirmed and their structure was clarified.ISSN:2041-6520ISSN:2041-653

Assigning 1H Chemical Shifts in Paramagnetic Mono and Bimetallic Surface Sites using DFT: a Case Study on the Union Carbide Polymerization Catalyst

The Union Carbide (UC) ethylene polymerization catalyst, based on silica-supported chromocene, is one of the first industrial catalysts prepared by surface organometallic chemistry, though the structure of the surface sites remains elusive. Recently, our group reported that monomeric and dimeric Cr (II) sites as well as Cr(III) hydride sites are present and that their proportion varies as a function of the Cr loading. While 1H chemical shifts extracted from solid-state 1H NMR spectra should be diagnostic of the structure of such surface sites, unpaired electrons centered on Cr atoms induce large paramagnetic 1H shifts that complicate NMR analysis. Here, we implement a cost-efficient DFT methodology to calculate 1H chemical shifts for antiferromagnetically coupled metal dimeric sites using a Boltzmann-averaged Fermi contact term over the population of the different spin states. This method allowed us to assign the 1H chemical shifts observed for the industrial-like UC catalyst. The presence of monomeric and dimeric Cr(II) sites as well as a dimeric Cr(III)-hydride site was confirmed and their structure was clarified