Phosphorus(V) Lewis acids for element-hydrogen and element-halogen bond activation - Application to reductions and to the synthesis of valuable organic building blocks

• Applicant: Dr. Juri Möbus
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2015 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 277233930

Lewis acid catalysis plays a prominent role in the transformation of organic compounds. Fluorophosphonium cations, where a phosphorus atom in the oxidation state +V is the Lewis acidic center, are a new class of exceptionally strong Lewis acids which will be investigated in this project.My research will focus on the catalytic application fluorophosphonium compounds for the activation of silicon-hydrogen, boron-hydrogen and boron-, silicon- and tin-halogen bonds. It is envisioned that with my methodology, the long-standing goal of metal-free, asymmetric hydrosilylation and transfer-hydrogenation of ketones can be achieved as well as drawbacks in direct hydrogenation with current metal-free systems can be overcome. Using the unique reactivity of fluorophosphonium catalysts it is further proposed that a catalytic process can be developed to access a whole new class of valuable building blocks for organic synthesis a single synthetic step.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Canada
• Host: Professor Douglas W. Stephan, Ph.D.