Yes / Carbon monoxide (CO) is both a substance hazardous to health and a side product of a number of industrial processes, such as methanol steam reforming and large-scale oxidation reactions. The separation of CO from nitrogen (N2) in industrial processes is considered to be difficult because of the similarities of their electronic structures, sizes, and physicochemical properties (e.g., boiling points). Carbon monoxide is also a major poison in fuel cells because of its adsorption onto the active sites of the catalysts. It is therefore of the utmost economic importance to discover new materials that enable effective CO capture and release under mild conditions. However, methods to specifically absorb and easily release CO in the presence of contaminants, such as water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen, at ambient temperature are not available. Here, we report the simple and versatile fabrication of a new class of hybrid materials that allows capture and release of carbon monoxide under mild conditions. We found that carborane-containing metal complexes encapsulated in networks made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) react with CO, even when immersed in water, leading to dramatic color and infrared signature changes. Furthermore, we found that the CO can be easily released from the materials by simply dipping the networks into an organic solvent for less than 1 min, at ambient temperature and pressure, which not only offers a straightforward recycling method, but also a new method for the “on-demand” release of carbon monoxide. We illustrated the utilization of the on-demand release of CO from the networks by carrying out a carbonylation reaction on an electron-deficient metal complex that led to the formation of the CO-adduct, with concomitant recycling of the gel. We anticipate that our sponge-like materials and scalable methodology will open up new avenues for the storage, transport, and controlled release of CO, the silent killer and a major industrial poison. / The Royal Society, The Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, The University of Bradford, European Regional Development Fund of the European Union / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner.

This thesis describes our examination of the reactivity of allenylpalladium intermediates generated from the reaction of palladium(0) with propargylic electrophiles. Chapter 1 provides a general overview of the literature reported to date concerning the nature and reactivity of allenylpalladium intermediates. The coupling of a variety of propargylic electrophiles with aryl boronic acids to form allenes is examined in Chapter 2. However, when employing diastereomerically pure electrophiles, some erosion of stereochemistry was observed in the allene products. This effect was examined further, and epimerisation of the allene product was found to be the origin of the loss of stereochemistry. Evidence for the species likely responsible for this epimerisation is presented. The serendipitous formation of tetrahydrofurans (THFs) from propargylic 7-membered cyclic carbonates prompted an in-depth examination of this reactivity, as described in Chapter 3. The reaction of these cyclic carbonates was rendered stereoselective and the stereochemical outcome of the reaction elucidated. The methodology was extended to propargylic acyclic carbonates which allowed the formation of tetrahydropyrans (THPs). The effect of ring-size and substituents on the cyclisations was examined, culminating in the formation of two rings in a single step from diol-containing bis-carbonates. Chapter 4 describes the extension of this methodology to the formation of azacyclic products. This built upon foundation work conducted by a Part II student within the group, and further improved the selectivity of the reaction. Two diverse azacyclic skeletons could be formed from the same substrate by the employment of different bidentate phosphine ligands, and a variety of substrates were examined under these conditions. Chapter 5 draws general conclusions and sets out possible future directions for the methodology, and full experimental details are outlined in Chapter 6.

Nowadays, the requirement to design highly valuable compounds is undoubtedly one of the major challenges in the field of organic and organometallic chemistry. The use of the versatile and efficient N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) combined with transition metals represents a key feature in modern organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis. In the course of this thesis, the straightforward design and synthesis of a library of Pd(0) bearing NHC ligands was achieved. Their catalytic performances (Chapter 1) and their phosphorescence properties in solution (Chapter 2) were disclosed. Currently, cross-couplings are some of the most important types of reaction in palladium catalysis. The formation of highly hindered biaryls substrates is one of the main requirements in cross-coupling chemistry. The design and synthesis of a palladium dimer bearing a bulky NHC ligand can fulfil this proposal (Chapter 4). The development of new classes of ligands is a topic of interest. For this reason, normal, abnormal, remote and mesoionic N-heterocyclic carbenes copper complexes were investigated and their reactivity compared in the [3+2] cycloaddition of azides and alkynes (Chapter 7). Air and moisture stable Cu(I)-NHC species have also been compared to their silver analogues for the alkynylation of ketones (Chapter 9). The different reactivity of the two latter organometallic species (Cu and Ag) with ethyldiazoacetate reagent via the formation of carbenes or C-H activated product is presented in Chapter 8. Recently, the development of a bimetallic catalytic system is strongly considered and has high impact. For this reason, two dual catalytic transformations (Pd-NHC and Cu-NHC) were studied for the C-H arylation (Chapter 5) and the synthesis of substituted alkenes products via a relay or cooperative mechanisms (Chapter 6). The isolation of intermediates and mechanistic studies were examined in each of these studies.

This thesis describes the synthesis and reactivity of previously unprecedented bicyclic methylene aziridines via rhodium(II) catalysed cyclisation of α-allenic N-tosyloxycarbamates. These aziridines undergo reaction with organocuprates to give cis- disubstituted oxazolidinones by nucleophillic attack at the vinylic centre; plausible mechanisms for this process are discussed. Similar rhodium(II) catalysed cyclisations of β-allenic sulfamates afford cyclic enamines, aminocyclopropanes or bicyclic methylene aziridines; the product ratio depends on the allene substitution pattern. Suitably-designed substrates undergo trapping of the proposed intermediate amino allyl cation by internal nucleophiles or by cycloaddition. Finally, thermally-induced intramolecular cycloadditions of γ-allenic azides are described that give triazolines or [1,2,3]-triazoles.

This work describes the extension of rhodium-catalysed intermolecular hydroacylation to encompass some tandem catalytic processes, wherein a further catalytic process is enacted on the product of an intermolecular hydroacylation reaction in “one pot”. Chapter 1 entails an overview of the development of hydroacylation chemistry, with a focus on the different types of catalytic systems which have been used to facilitate this transformation. A brief description of some precedented examples of tandem catalytic processes which include a hydroacylation reaction is also included. Chapter 2 describes the intermolecular hydroacylation of chelating aldehydes and propargylic alkynes to form γ-hydroxy-α,β-enones, and their subsequent acid-catalysed cyclisation to form substituted furans in a "one-pot" procedure. Additionally, a tandem intermolecular hydroacylation/double-bond isomerisation protocol for the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds is detailed, and the subsequent transformation of this class of compounds to heterocycles is included. Chapter 3 focuses on the development of tandem catalytic hydroacylation/reductive processes, wherein a hydroacylation product undergoes a reduction which is catalysed by the hydroacylation catalyst. Chapter 4 describes an attempt to utilise the rhodium-catalysed conjugate addition of arylmetal species to enomes to create a tandem alkyne hydroacylation/conjugate addition process. Chapter 5 encompasses the use of a small range of different solvents in rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation, in an attempt to find higher-boiling alternatives to acetone and a "green" alternative to the commonly used DCE.

The functionalisation of C-H bonds has been widely studied in organic synthesis. This work presents the results of investigation into two areas of current research, copper-catalysed aromatic C-H functionalisation and rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation. Chapter 1 presents the development of palladium- and copper-catalysed aromatic C-H functionalisation with particular attention paid to regiocontrol. Chapter 2 describes the development of copper-catalysed cross-coupling of perfluorinated arenes and alkenyl halides along with efforts to expand this methodology to a more general reaction. In Chapter 3 the development of chelation-controlled rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation is discussed. Chapter 4 outlines the utilisation of amino acid derived N-methylthiomethyl aldehydes in rhodium-catalysed hydroacylation methodology.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a popular spectroscopic method and has widespread use in many fields. Recent developments in solid-state NMR have increased interest in experiment and, alongside simultaneous developments in computational theory, have led to the field dubbed 'NMR crystallography.' This is a suite of methodologies, complementing the capabilities of other crystallographic methods in the determination of atomic structure, especially when large crystals cannot be made and when exploring materials with phenomena such as compositional, positional and dynamic disorder. NMR J-coupling is the indirect coupling between nuclear spins, which, when measured, can reveal a wealth of information about structure and bonding. This thesis develops and applies the method of Joyce for the prediction of NMR J-coupling in condensed matter systems using plane-wave pseudopotential density-functional theory, an important requirement for efficient treatment of finite and infinite periodic systems. It describes the first-ever method for the use of ultrasoft pseudopotentials and inclusion of special relativistic effects in J-coupling prediction, allowing for the treatment of a wider range of materials systems and overall greater user friendliness, thus making the method more accessible and attractive to the wider scientific community.

This thesis describes the reactivity of Zintl ions of groups 14 [E₉]^4– (E = Ge and Sn)and 15 [E'₇]^3– (E' = P and As) towards a number or transition, post-transition and main group reagents. The synthesis and characterisation of the resulting novel cluster anions is described herein. Coordination compounds of group 14 Zintl ions were synthesised when K₄Ge₉ was reacted with Zn[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ to give the simple coordination compound [Ge₉ZnN(SiMe₃)₂]^3–. The heavier analogue K₄Sn₉ reacts with the same metal precursor to give the paramagnetic species [Sn₉ZnNSiMe₃]^3– where a trimethylsilyl group has been lost. K₄Ge₉ reacts with [Ru(COD)(η³-CH₂C(CH₃)CH₂)₂] to form the paramagnetic endohedral compound [Ru@Ge₁₂]^3– and with [Co(PEt₂Ph)₂(mes)₂] to form the prolate endohedral compound [Co₂@Ge₁₆]^4–, which has two metal centres encapsulated inside the sixteen atom germanium cage. Regarding group 15 Zintl ion reactivity, the reactions between pyridine solutions of [HP₇]^2– and E[N(SiMe₃)₂]₂ (E = Ge, Sn and Pb) have been found to yield coordination compounds of the type [P7E(N(SiMe3)2]2–. The germanium containing species [P₇GeN(SiMe₃)₂]^2– quickly decomposes at room temperature to give rise to the thermodynamic product [(P₇)₂Ge₂N(SiMe₃)₂]^3–, a process that involves the loss of an amide moiety. Activation products were also synthesised from the reaction of [E'₇]^3– with varying stoichiometries of VCp₂. The reaction with 0.7 equivalents of VCp₂ yields the sandwich complexes [CpV(η⁵-E'₅)]^n– (E' = P: n = 1; E' = As, n = 1 and 2) whereas with 2.5 equivalents the products are the triple-decker sandwich complexes [(CpV)₂(η^x-E'_x)]– (E' = P: x = 6; E' = As: x = 5).

Les structures organométalliques poreuses (Metal Organic Framework, MOF) sont une nouvelle classe de matériaux, composées d'ions métalliques ou de clusters liés à des ligands organiques ou des complexes organométalliques dans des réseaux cristallins 1D, 2D ou 3D. Au cours de cette thèse la possibilité de construire de nouveaux MOF a été illustrée par le développement de matériaux MOF à base d’imidazolium, précurseur important pour la synthèse de catalyseurs. En outre, ce travail démontre l’utilité de la modification post-synthèse des MOFs par chimie organométallique de surface à visée catalytique : i) un MOF connu, UiO-66, avec des pores relativement petits a été fonctionnalisé avec un groupement amino et ses capacités d'adsorption de gaz ont été étudiées. ii) la synthèse de MOF a structure poreuse, CPO-27, MOF a été optimisée et utilisée comme précurseur pour produire un catalyseur d'hydrodésulfuration après l'introduction d'espèces actives, via la chimie organométallique de surface, dont les performances catalytiques ont été évaluées / Metal organic frameworks (MOF) are a new class of material, which consist of metal ions or clusters coordinated to organic ligands or metal-organic complexes and result in 1D, 2D or 3D crystalline networks. The possibility of constructing new MOF has been exemplified in this thesis by development of imidazolium based MOF, a highly important ligand system in catalysis. Moreover, this work has performed post synthesis modification via surface organometallic chemistry on existing MOF: i) a known MOF, UiO-66, with relatively small pores has been functionalized with amino group and its gas adsorption capacity has been investigated, ii) the syntheses of a 3D open structure MOF, CPO-27, MOFs have been optimized and used as a precursor to produce a hydrodesulfurization catalyst after introducing active species via surface organometallic chemistry approach, whose catalytic performances have been measured

Afin d’optimiser par une approche moléculaire des catalyseurs hétérogènes, qu’ils soient dits sites uniques ou des particules supportées, il est nécessaire d’accéder à une compréhension détaillée de leur structure et de leur processus de formation. Dans ce but, les techniques classiques de caractérisation (adsorption, IR, EXAFS, TEM…) ont été combinées à la RMN solide, pour accéder à la structure fine et à la dynamique des espèces présentes en surface. Dans ce cadre, nous avons tout d’abord montré que la formation d’espèces Au(I) (densité de surface de 0.35/nm2) entouré de fragments hydrophobes (OSiMe3) par greffage contrôlé de {AuN(SiMe3)2}4 sur silice se transforment en particules d’or de ca. 1.8nm supportées sur silice passivée par réduction ménagée sous H2 à 300°C. Ce système a démontré des propriétés particulières en oxydation et hydrogénation, et permet d’affiner les mécanismes d’activation de l’O2 sur les nanoparticules d’or. Cette approche a aussi été utilisée pour la préparation et la caractérisation de particules de ruthénium supportées. La réactivité de ces particules d’or et ruthénium vis-à-vis de petites molécules (H2, phosphines, éthylène et CO) a été étudiée, en particulier par RMN. Toutefois, la faible densité d’espèces de surface sur ces particules constitue un des problèmes majeurs pour obtenir des spectres RMN de bonne qualité. Ainsi, nous avons développé une méthode basée sur l’augmentation du signal RMN des espèces de surface de matériaux par polarisation dynamique nucléaire (DNP). Cette approche, très prometteuse, d’abord appliquée à des matériaux hybrides (inorganique-organiques), devrait lever un des freins majeurs de la caractérisation des sites de surface des matériaux et en particulier des catalyseurs hétérogènes / In order to optimize heterogeneous catalysts through a molecular approach, whether based on single-sites or supported nanoparticles, it is necessary to access to a detailed understanding of its structures and formation mechanism. To reach this goal, classical characterization techniques (adsorption, IR, EXAFS, TEM…) have been combined with solid state NMR in order to access to the detailed structure and the dynamics of surface species. Here, we showed that the formation of well-dispersed Au(I) surface species (0.35/nm2) surrounded by hydrophobic groups (OSiMe3) by the controlled grafting of {AuN(SiMe3)2}4 and its conversion into 1.8nm gold nanoparticles supported on fully passivated silica upon a mild reduction under H2 (300°C). This system displays good activity and selectivity in air oxidation and hydrogenation reactions and provides new information on the activation of O2 on gold nanoparticles. By a similar approach, supported ruthenium nanoparticles have been prepared and characterized. Reactivity of Au and Ru nanoparticles with probe molecules (H2, phosphines, ethylene and CO) has been studied, in particular by NMR. However, the low density of these surface species, especially for supported nanoparticles is still one of the main problems, making difficult to obtain high quality NMR spectra in a reasonable time. Therefore, we have developed a method based on the enhancement of NMR signals of surface species via dipolar nuclear polarization (DNP). This very promising approach has first been applied very successfully to hybrid materials and silica; this opens new avenues in the characterization of surface species of materials and particularly heterogeneous catalysts