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The use of transition metal catalysts - either homogeneous (discrete well-defined metal complexes) or heterogeneous (more poorly-defined metal surfaces) - play an important role in the transformations of small substrates into larger, value-added compounds. Although heterogeneous catalysts have the greater industrial applicability, there has been enormous interest in homogeneous transition metal systems for effecting selective transformations of small substrate molecules. The bulk of these homogeneous systems are mononuclear. Perhaps surprisingly, very little research has focuses on systems with adjacent metal centres. Binuclear systems possess adjacent metals that may interact and possibly lead to transformations not observed in monometallic systems. It is this opportunity for adjacent metal involvement in substrate activation that is the focus of this dissertation. the goal of this research is to gain an increased understanding of metal-metal cooperativity and adjacent metal involvement in substrate transformations; how can adjacent metal involvement lead to substrate activation not seen in monometallic counterparts, and what role does each metal play in these interactions, particularly when the two metals are different. Throughout this dissertation examples of transformation unique to systems with at least two metals are presented and examined with a particular focus on the roles of the two metals and any associated binding modes in these transformations. In addition, by comparing the RhOs, RhRu and IrRu systems, the influence of metal substitution is also examined. For example, diazoalkane activation and C-c bond formation promoted by the Rh-based systems is investigated, the roles of the adjacent metals of the IrRu system in the conversion of methylene groups to oxygenates is examined, and the unusual geminal C-H bond activation of olefinic substrates is explored. Overall, the work presented within this thesis adds to the growing understanding of adjacent metal cooperativety, leading us toward a more rational approach to the design of homogeneous homo- and heterobimetallic catalysts, heterogeneous catalyst and nanoparticle catalysts for selective substrate transformations.

Strong bond activation mediated by pincer ligated transiton-metal complexes has been the subject of intense study in recent years, due to its potential involvement in catalytic transformations. This dissertation has focused on the net heterolytic cleavage of B-H and B-B bonds across the N-Pd bond in a cationic (PNP)Pd fragment, the C-H oxidative addition to a (PNP)Ir center and the recent results on the C-H and C-O oxidative addition in reactions of aryl carboxylates with the (PNP)Rh fragment. Transition metal carbene and carbyne complexes are of great interest because of their role in a wide variety of catalytic reactions. Our work has resulted in the isolation of a rhodium(I) difluorocarbene. Reaction of the rhodium difluorocarbene complex with a silylium salt led to the C-F bond cleavage and the formation of a terminal fluorocarbyne complex. Reductive elimination is a critical step of cross coupling reactions. In order to examine the effect of the pincer ligand on the reductive elimination reactions from Rh(III), the first pi-accepting PNP ligand bearing pyrrolyl substituents was prepared and installed onto the rhodium center. Arylhalide (halide = Br, I) oxidative addition was achieved in the presence of donor ligands such as acetonitrile to form stable six-coordinate Rh(III) compounds. The C-O reductive elimination reactions in this system were also explored.

Microwave-Assisted Thermolysis of ortho-Substituted Aroylsilanes Marc Tremblay Master of Science Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 2008 The microwave-assisted thermolysis of ortho-substituted aroylsilanes has been investigated. When irradiated at 250ºC in DMSO or o‑dichlorobenzene for 10 minutes, aroylsilanes form siloxycarbenes that react following different pathways depending on the solvent and the structure of the starting material. It is shown that in the case of substrates having an O‑allyl or an O‑propargyl chain ortho to the acylsilane, cycloaddition occurs followed by a cascade ring opening to give respectively chroman‑4-one and chromen‑4-one derivatives in up to 66% yield. Among the major competitive pathways were the insertion of the siloxycarbene into allylic C–H bonds and decomposition of the acylsilane group to the corresponding aldehyde, followed by Claisen rearrangement.

Microwave-Assisted Thermolysis of ortho-Substituted Aroylsilanes Marc Tremblay Master of Science Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 2008 The microwave-assisted thermolysis of ortho-substituted aroylsilanes has been investigated. When irradiated at 250ºC in DMSO or o‑dichlorobenzene for 10 minutes, aroylsilanes form siloxycarbenes that react following different pathways depending on the solvent and the structure of the starting material. It is shown that in the case of substrates having an O‑allyl or an O‑propargyl chain ortho to the acylsilane, cycloaddition occurs followed by a cascade ring opening to give respectively chroman‑4-one and chromen‑4-one derivatives in up to 66% yield. Among the major competitive pathways were the insertion of the siloxycarbene into allylic C–H bonds and decomposition of the acylsilane group to the corresponding aldehyde, followed by Claisen rearrangement.

Thesis (M.A.E.T.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-90).

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Chapter 2 of the thesis describes a highly efficient in situ method for the reduction of amides to aldehydes and aryl O-carbamates to phenols and other transformations involving hydrozirconations. The method, as a three-component-type reaction, involves in situ generation of the Schwartz reagent (Cp2Zr(H)Cl) from Cp2ZrCl2 and the reductant, LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3, and immediate reaction with a substrate. Substrates include aliphatic and aromatic tertiary amides which are reduced to aldehydes, aryl O-carbamates which are reduced to phenols, and alkynes which undergo other transformations via hydrozirconation. Compared to prior methods, this method has advantage in that reagents are inexpensive and stable, reaction times are short, and reaction temperatures are generally conveniently at room temperature. The use of the in situ method described herein instead of the requirement for the synthesis of the commercially available Schwartz reagent is estimated to provide more than 50% reduction in cost. Chapter 3 of the thesis describes the discovery and development of efficient and regioselective Ru-catalyzed amide-directed C-H, C-N, C-O activation/C-C bond forming reactions, ester-directed C-O activation/C-C bond forming reaction, and amide-directed C-O activation/hydrodemethoxylation reactions under a simple RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3/toluene catalytic system. Of these, the amide-directed C-H activation/cross coupling reaction proceeds well but uniquely on furan 3-amide substrates while the ester-directed C-O activation is effective on the 2-MeO-1-naphthoic acid methyl ester. On the other hand, the amide-directed C-N and C-O activation/coupling reactions are broadly applicable on benzamides and naphthamides. All of these achievements of directed C-H, C-N, C-O activation/coupling reactions complement and may supercede the DoM (directed ortho metalation)-cross coupling strategy, and establish the catalytic base-free DoM-cross coupling process at non-cryogenic temperature as a convenient, economical and green alternative. The new catalytic amide-directed ortho-hydrodemethoxylation reaction has potential value in links to aromatic electrophilic substitution and DoM chemistries. Furthermore, a new borylation reaction via Ru-catalyzed amide-directed C-H activation/C-B bond forming process is also reported herein. / Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-21 11:12:35.564

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