•Selective hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into formic acid.•Efficient heterolytic catalysis using our NHC-amidate Pd(II) catalyst.•Actual hydrogenation substrate: potassium carbonate formed from CO2 and KOH.The utilization of carbon dioxide as a carbon source has long been a challenge in modern organic chemistry due to its low reactivity, yet high abundance. Herein we demonstrate the highly efficient hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into formic acid in the presence of an NHC-amidate Pd(II) complex. Excellent turnover number was observed when the catalyst was used under heterolytic conditions. This catalytic system provides a new and efficient carbon dioxide hydrogenation method.Download high-res image (50KB)Download full-size image

A highly efficient co-dimerization of styrene and cyclopentene was developed in the presence of palladium and a BF3 source, selectively forming a new C–C bond. The complex [Pd(PPh3)2]+BF4− is believed to generate palladium hydride (Pd-H), which catalyzes the reaction between various styrenes and cyclopentene in excellent yields as single isomers. This co-catalytic system provides a new efficient C–C bond forming method.

Thorough mechanistic studies and DFT calculations revealed a background radical pathway latent in metal-catalyzed oxidation reactions of methane at low temperatures. Use of hydrogen peroxide with TFAA generated a trifluoromethyl radical (•CF3), which in turn reacted with methane gas to selectively yield acetic acid. It was found that the methyl carbon of the product was derived from methane, while the carbonyl carbon was derived from TFAA. Computational studies also support these findings, revealing the reaction cycle to be energetically favorable.

We have developed an effective method that converts a variety of mono- and disaccharides into formic acid predominantly. Our recyclable NHC-amidate palladium(II) catalyst facilitated oxidative degradation of carbohydrates without using excess oxidant. Stoichiometric amounts of hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide were employed at ambient temperatures.

A method has been developed for one-step ortho-selective ligand-directed H–D exchange, accompanied in some cases by concurrent acid-catalyzed electrophilic deuteration. This method is effective for deuteration of aromatic substrates ranging from ketones to amides and amino acids, including compounds of biological and pharmaceutical interest such as acetaminophen and edaravone. Use of a palladium catalyst featuring an NHC ligand is critical for the observed reactivity. Experimental evidence strongly suggests that palladium facilitates C–H activation of the aromatic substrates, a mechanism seldom observed under strongly acidic conditions.

The H–D exchange of aromatic amines and amides, including pharmaceutically relevant compounds such as acetaminophen and diclofenac, was investigated using CF3COOD as both the sole reaction solvent and source of deuterium label. The described method is amenable to efficient deuterium incorporation for a wide variety of substrates possessing both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents. Best results were seen with less basic anilines and highly activated acetanilides, reflecting the likelihood of different mechanistic pathways.

An efficient laboratory experiment has been developed for undergraduate students to conduct hydrogen–deuterium (H–D) exchange of resorcinol by electrophilic aromatic substitution using D2O and a catalytic amount of H2SO4. The resulting labeled product is characterized by 1H NMR. Students also visualize a significant kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD ≈ 3 to 4) by adding iodine tincture to solutions of unlabeled resorcinol and the H–D exchange product. This method is highly adaptable to fit a target audience and has been successfully implemented in a pedagogical capacity with second-year introductory organic chemistry students as part of their laboratory curriculum. It was also adapted for students at the advanced high school level.Keywords: Brønsted-Lowry Acids/Bases; Electrophilic Substitution; First-Year Undergraduate/General; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; Isotopes; Kinetics; Laboratory Instruction; NMR Spectroscopy; Organic Chemistry; Second-Year Undergraduate;

Using our tridentate NHC-amidate–alkoxide Pd(II) complex, we developed a catalytic method for oxidative C–C bond cleavage of glycerol. The glycerol was degraded exclusively to formic acid and CO2. Two possible degradation pathways were proposed through 13C labeled studies.

The hydroamination of various substituted vinyl arenes with benzenesulfonamide was explored using an NHC-amidate-alkoxide palladium catalyst in conjunction with p-TsOH. Utilizing halide-substituted and electron-rich vinyl arenes, this methodology selectively furnished the cross-coupled hydroamination products in moderate to excellent yields in a Markovnikov fashion while greatly reducing undesired acid-catalyzed homocoupling of the vinyl arenes. Electron-rich vinyl arenes typically required milder conditions than electron-poor ones. While most effective for para-substituted substrates, the catalyst system also furnished the desired products from ortho- and meta-substituted vinyl arenes with high chemoselectivities.

A palladium-catalyzed diacetoxylation of alkenes in the presence of peracetic acid and acetic anhydride was developed to produce diacetates efficiently and diastereoselectively. Due to its mild conditions, this method was suitable for a broad range of substrates encompassing conjugated and nonconjugated olefins.

A simple and efficient one-pot, three-component method has been developed for the synthesis of α-aminonitriles. This Strecker reaction is applicable for aldehydes and ketones with aliphatic or aromatic amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide in the presence of a palladium Lewis acid catalyst in dichloromethane solvent at room temperature.