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published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Molecular Biology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Pathology, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-260).

Thesis (MSc.(Pharmacology)--Faculty of Health Sciences)-University of Pretoria, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

The development of procedures for the synthesis of valuable organic molecules constitutes an important part of chemistry. The goal of improving the efficiency of existing methodologies can be fulfilled by use of metal catalysts. Recent developments in the field of homogeneous gold catalysis have contributed to these efforts and continued investigations assure future innovations. Chapter 1 summarises the properties of gold and ligand-supported gold(I) complexes and demonstrates how a detailed understanding of its reactivity and possible bonding interactions with various substrates facilitates the development of well-defined catalytic systems. Particular attention is given to N-heterocyclic carbenes, highly tunable ligands that stabilise a wide range of different transition metal complexes. Three chapters describe syntheses and studies of known and new complexes. Chapter 2 discusses expedient syntheses of key NHC-gold(I) complexes and catalysts. Chapter 3 constitutes studies to the behaviour of the commonly used tetrafluoroborate counterion in a particular IPrCl -gold(I) complex. Chapter 4 de- scribes the synthesis of a range of IPr-gold(I) carbanion complexes from the widely studied IPr-gold(I) hydroxide synthon, the study of their properties and exploration of their reactivity. Catalytic applications in transformations of alkynes and alcohols are described in the last three chapters. Chapter 5 details the development of efficient NHC-gold(I)-catalysed procedures for the synthesis of vinyl ethers through addition reactions of aliphatic and benzylic alcohols to alkynes. Benzylic alcohols were found to undergo gold-catalysed dehydration under specific conditions and Chapter 6 discloses the NHC-gold(I)-catalysed dehydrative formation of ethers from phenols and benzylic alcohols. Appendix A describes preliminary explorations to the complimentary use of Brønsted acidic compounds as catalysts for the formation of products with new C – C bonds from benzylic alcohols and phenols.

Ph.D. / This study comprises the preparation and characterization of new carbene complexes of iron, molybdenum, gold, copper and silver from azolyl and thienyl precursors. In addition, the syntheses of aminoacyl chelate and metallacyclic iron compounds as well as unique 6-membered dimeric and 18-membered trimeric thienyl gold compounds are reported. Furthermore, di(vinyl)carbene complexes, which are not yet known for gold and which are very rare for most other metals, are also described. In contrast to most other carbene complexes that result from precursors in which the heteroatom is situated a or y to the coordinated carbon atom, the new amino(organo)-, organo(thio)- and di(organo) carbene complexes are unique in that they have been prepared from azolyl or thienyl precursors in which the nucleophilic heteroatom is located outside the coordinated ring system and is separated from the coordinated carbon by several bonds. The complex [CpFe(CO)2C1] reacts with lithiated pyrazole, (thienyl)oxazoline or (thienyl)pyridine to form precursor pyrazolyl and thienyl iron(II) compounds which upon alkylation or protonation with CF3SO3Me or CF3SO3H afford amino(organo)-, organo(thio)- or heterometallacyclic alkoxy(amino)- and hydroxy(amino)carbene complexes as well as compounds which show pyridinium character. The heterometallacyclic complexes incorporate unusual ferropyridine or ferropyrole rings. ' 3C-{'}I} NAIR data of the above compounds show that the coordinated carbons of the azolyl and thienyl ligands are significantly affected upon carbene formation, although an X-ray crystallographic investigation indicates that carbene formation has little if any effect on bond distances in the azolyl ligand when it becomes a coordinated azolinylidene. The molecular structures of the pyrazolyl complex [CpFe(C0) 2{C=CHCH=NNPh}], the pyrazolinylidene complex [CPFe(C0) 2{CCHHNHI4P11}1[CF3S03], the 2-(2'-oxazolinyl)thien- 5-ylidene complex [CpFe(C0)2{CCHHC(1\1HCMe2CH26)}1[CF3S03] and the heterometallacyclic complex [CpFe(C0){CC(=&CMe 2CH2(5)SCH---9-1)] indicate small variations in iron-carbon distances of 1.981(2), 1.969(5), 1.99(1) and 1.959(7) A. Four equivalents of 2-(4',5'-dihydro-4',4'-dimethy1-2'-oxazolinyl)thien-3-yllithium reacts with the acetate [Mo2(O2CMe)4] to form the stable, neutral, quadruply bonded dimolybdenum complex [Mo2{C=C(6=NCMe2CH26)SCH2CH2} 2(02CMe)2], while 4-methylthiazoly1 lithium reacts with the same acetate to form the unstable, thiazolyl molybdate [Mo 2{6=NCMe—Cfg} 8]4". Reaction of [AuCI(tht)] (tetrahydrothiophene) with 2-(4',5'-dihydro-4',4'-dimethy1-2'-oxazoliny1)- thien-3-yllithium or 2-(4',5'-dihydro-4',4'-dimethy1-2'-oxazolinyl)thien-5-yllithium afforded dimeric and trimeric thienyl oligomers of gold(I). The molecular structure of the six-membered dimeric compound [Au{C=C(=NCMe 2CH2O)SCH=CH}li shows a Au...Au separation of 2.8450(6)A, while such interactions are absent in the trimeric compound [Au{C=C(C=NCMe2CH2O)SCH=CH}] 3 . Protonation of the former compound as well as the stable monomers obtained from [Au(tht)C 6F5] or [Au(Cl)PPh 3J afforded unique di(vinyl)carbene as well as imine complexes. Reaction of 2-(2'-pyridyl)thien-5-yllithium with [Au(COPPh 3] and subsequent alkylation yields an organo(thio)carbene compound. Finally, a series of cationic copper(I) bis(carbene) complexes were formed upon sequential treatment of copper(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate with thiazolyl- or pyrazolyllithium and CF3SO3Me. A similar reaction with 4-methylthiazol-2-yllithium and silver triflate produced the first amino(thio)carbene complex of silver.