The reactivity of the 2-phenylpyridine-derived [Cp*Col(phpy-k(C,N))] metallacycle towards Et3SiH and hydrides was evaluated. The treatment of the same Co(III) complex with Na[BHEt3] resulted in its decomposition into cobalt nanoparticles. The hydride-promoted decomposition of the metallacycle involves the transient formation of an elusive hydrido-cobalt(III) intermediate, the traces of which were detected by H-1 NMR spectroscopy at sub-ambient temperature. The Co nanoparticles produced from a 5 mol% and 10 mol% load of cobaltacycle and Na[BHEt3] respectively contain Co(0) that is responsible for the hydrosilylation by Et3SiH of arylketones into silylalkyl ethers. To minimize the residual side reduction of carbonyls by Na[BHEt3], a mixture of 5 mol% of the latter with 5 mon of BEt3 was found to produce optimal hydrosilylation yields at 40 degrees C in 2 h. Under similar conditions, several arylnitriles were mono-hydrosilylated into N-silyl-imines in yields ranging from 68 to 100 %.

In this joint theoretical and experimental study, an analysis of weak interligand noncovalent interactions within Co(IV) [Cp*Co(phpy)X](+) cobaltacycles (phpy = 2-phenylenepyridine, kappa(C,N)) was carried out by using the independent gradient model/intrinsic bond strength index (IGM/IBSI) method to evaluate the dependency of the catalytically desired reductive elimination pathway (RE) on the nature of the X ligand. It is shown that the barrier for activation of the RE pathway correlates directly with the IBSI of the X-to-carbanionic chelate's carbon. This correlation suggests that in silico prediction of which X ligand is more prone to operate an efficient Cp*Co-catalyzed directed X-functionalization of an aromatic C-H bond is attainable. A set of experiments involving various sources of X ligands supported the theoretical conclusions.

The performance of six newly synthesized benzo[h]quinoline-derived acetonitrilo pentamethylcyclopentadienyl iridium(III) tetrakis(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)borate salts bearing different substituents -X (-OMe, -H, -Cl, -Br, -NO2 and -(NO2 )2 ) on the heterochelating ligand were evaluated in the dehydro-O-silylation of benzyl alcohol and the monohydrosilylation of 4-methoxybenzonitrile by Et3 SiH, two reactions involving the electrophilic activation of the Si-H bond. The benchmark shows a direct dependence of the catalytic efficiency with the electronic effect of -X, which is confirmed by theoretical assessment of the intrinsic silylicities Π of hydridoiridium(III)-silylium adducts and by the theoretical evaluation of the propensity of hydridospecies to transfer the hydrido ligand to the activated substrate. The revisited analysis of the Ir-Si-H interactions shows that the most cohesive bond in hydridoiridium(III)-silylium adducts is the Ir-H one, while the Ir-Si is a weak donor-acceptor dative bond. The Si…H interaction in all the cases is noncovalent in nature and dominated by electrostatics confirming the heterolytic cleavage of the hydrosilane's Si-H bond in this key catalytically relevant species.

This mini-review highlights results on nanocatalysis involving various ferrocene-containing macromolecular supports (arene-cored and Pd-nanoparticle-cored dendrimers and dendronized polymers) obtained in our research group during the last 15 years. Nanocatalysis with Pd and Au nanoparticles stabilized by these metallomacromolecules have shown excellent catalyst efficiency and recyclability in very low amounts for C–C cross-coupling reactions, olefin hydrogenation and 4-nitrophenol reduction. The ferrocene group plays a crucial role in these dendritic supports with its redox activity and tridimensionality blocking nanoparticle escape.

Recent reports have identified Cp*Co-based complexes to be powerful catalysts for aromatic C-H bond activation under oxidative conditions. However, little is known about the speciation of Cp*Co species during catalysis. We now show that key intermediates, Cp*Co-III metallacycles derived from 2-phenylpyridine (phpy-H), react swiftly in solution with one-electron oxidants to irreversibly collapse by a cyclocondensation of the organic ligands to afford cationic alkaloids in yields of >70%. A low-temperature EPR analysis of a mixture of the cobaltacycle with the tritylium cation reveals the signatures of trityl and Co(IV)-centered radicals. Electrochemical analyses show that the oxidation of these cobaltacycles is irreversible and gives rise to several products in various amounts, among which the most salient ones are a cationic alkaloid resulting from the cyclocondensation of the phpy and Cp* ligands and the dimeric cation {[Cp*Co](2) (mu-I)(3)}(+). DFT investigations of relevant noncovalent interactions using QTAIM-based NCI plots and intrinsic bond strength indexes suggest a ligand-dependent predisposition by "NCI-coding" for the Co(IV)-templated cyclocondensation, the computed reaction network energy profile for which supports the key roles of a short-lived Co(IV) metallacycle and of a range of triplet state organocobalt intermediates.

Ferrocene-containing polymers have been investigated for more than six decades, and more recently modern synthetic methods have allowed the fabrication of precise polymers that contain a variety of transition-metal complexes. Trends are now oriented towards applications, such as optics, energy conversion and storage, electrochemistry, magnetics, electric conductors and biomedicine. Metal-sandwich complexes such as those of ferrocene type and other related complexes that present redox-robust groups in polymers, i.e. that are isolable in both their oxidized and reduced forms, are of particular interest, because it is possible to address them using electronic or photonic redox stimuli for application. Our research groups have called such complexes Electron-Reservoirs and introduced them in the main chain or in the side chains of well-defined polymers. For instance, polymers with ferrocene in the main chain or in the side chain are oxidized to stable polycationic polyelectrolytes only if ferrocene is part of a biferrocene unit, because biferrocene oxidation leads to the biferrocenium cation that is stabilized by the mixed valency. Then a group of several redox-robust iron sandwich complexes were fabricated and incorporated in precise polymers including multi-block copolymers whose controlled synthesis and block incorporation was achieved for instance using ring-opening-metathesis polymerization. Applications of this family of Electron-Reservoir-containing polymers includes electrochemically induced derivatization of electrodes by decorating them with these polymers, molecular recognition and redox sensing, electrochromics with multiple colours, generation of gold and silver nanoparticles of various size by reduction of gold(iii) and silver(i) precursors and their use for nanocatalysis towards depollution and biomedicine.

The base-assisted cyclometalation of 2-phenylpyridine (2-phpyH) by Cp*Co(III) was holistically addressed both theoretically and experimentally. Combined DFT and DLPNO-CCSD(T) methods assisted by QTAIM-based noncovalent interactions plots (NCI plots), interacting quantum atoms (IQA), and local energy decomposition (LED) analyses have been used for a comparative study of the CMD-promoted cyclocobaltation and the parent cycloiridation of the 2-phpyH. Results suggest a remarkable contribution of noncovalent interactions, especially local electrostatic interactions, in the evolution of the reactive site giving a rationale for the optimization of cyclocobaltation. The theoretically predicted benefits of using the acetamidate anion as a base is rationalized and verified experimentally. Cobaltacycle [Cp*Co(2-phpy-kappa C,kappa N)I] was efficiently synthesized from the air-stable [Cp*CoI2](2) and 2-phpyH, in the presence of LiNHAc as base in 83% yield, whereas with anhydrous NaOAc as base only a 12% yield was achieved under similar conditions. By applying the [NHAc](-) promoted cyclometalation various cobaltacycles were synthesized and analytically characterized, and their structures were resolved by X-ray crystallization analysis, confirming the importance of the acetamidate in the base-assisted cyclometalation. Experimental kinetic isotope effect (KIE) studies validated by Bigeleisen equation based KIE computations confirm that the formation of the agostic transient is indeed the kinetic determining step of the CMD mechanism in dichloromethane. Application of the [Cp*CoI2](2)/LiNHAc mixture to the catalysis of the condensation of 1,2-diphenyacetylene to various aromatics reveals the coexistence of two mechanisms, i.e. CMD and electrophilic C-H activation.

Dentromers (from dentro, δεντρο: tree in Greek), and meros (μεροσ, in greek: part) are introduced as a family of dendrimers constructed according to successive divergent 1 → 3 branching. The smaller dentromers have 27 terminal branches. With alcohol termini they were originally named arborols by Newkome, who pioneered 1 → 3 constructions of dendrimers and dendrons. Giant dentromers have been constructed and decorated in particular with ferrocene and other redox active groups. The synthesis, specific properties, and applications are examined in this mini review article dedicated to Don Tomalia, with an emphasis on dense peripheral packing favoring the functions of encapsulation, redox sensing, and micellar template for catalysis in water and aqueous solvents.

Nanoparticles (Pd, Pt, Rh) stabilized by G4OH PAMAM dendrimers and supported in SBA-15 (MNPs/SBA-15 with M = Pd, Pt, Rh) were efficiently used as catalysts in the acceptorless dehydrogenation of tetrahydroquinoline/indoline derivatives in toluene (release of H2) at 130 °C. These catalysts are air stable, very active, robust, and recyclable during the process. The reverse hydrogenation reaction of quinoline derivatives (H2 storage) was also optimized and successfully performed in the presence of the same catalysts in toluene at 60 °C under only 1 atm of hydrogen gas. Such catalysts may be essential for the adoption of organic hydrogen-storage materials as an alternative to petroleum-derived fuels. Hot filtration test confirmed that the reaction follows a heterogeneous pathway. Moreover, PdNPs/SBA-15 was an excellent catalyst for the direct arylation at the C-2 position (via C-H activation) of indole in water in the presense of a hypervalent iodine oxidant. Thus, a one-pot dehydrogenation/direct arylation cascade reaction between indoline and an arylated agent was efficaciously performed in water, demonstrating the potential of the system to catalyze tandem heterogeneous/homogeneous processes by choice of the appropriate oxidant/reductant.

Recyclable catalysts, especially those that display selective reactivity, are vital for the development of sustainable chemical processes. Among available catalyst platforms, heterogeneous catalysts are particularly well-disposed toward separation from the reaction mixture via filtration methods, which renders them readily recyclable. Furthermore, heterogeneous catalysts offer numerous handles-some without homogeneous analogues-for performance and selectivity optimization. These handles include nanoparticle size, pore profile of porous supports, surface ligands and interface with oxide supports, and flow rate through a solid catalyst bed. Despite these available handles, however, conventional heterogeneous catalysts are themselves often structurally heterogeneous compared to homogeneous catalysts, which complicates efforts to optimize and expand the scope of their reactivity and selectivity. Ongoing efforts in our laboratories are aimed to address the above challenge by heterogenizing homogeneous catalysts, which can be defined as the modification of homogeneous catalysts to render them in a separable (solid) phase from the starting materials and products. Specifically, we grow the small nanoclusters in dendrimers, a class of uniform polymers with the connectivity of fractal trees and generally radial symmetry. Thanks to their dense multivalency, shape persistence, and structural uniformity, dendrimers have proven to be versatile scaffolds for the synthesis and stabilization of small nanoclusters. Then these dendrimer-encapsulated metal clusters (DEMCs) are adsorbed onto mesoporous silica. Through this method, we have achieved selective transformations that had been challenging to accomplish in a heterogeneous setting, e.g., π-bond activation and aldol reactions. Extensive investigation into the catalytic systems under reaction conditions allowed us to correlate the structural features (e.g., oxidation states) of the catalysts and their activity. Moreover, we have demonstrated that supported DEMCs are also excellent catalysts for typical heterogeneous reactions, including hydrogenation and alkane isomerization. Critically, these investigations also confirmed that the supported DEMCs are heterogeneous and stable against leaching. Catalysts optimization is achieved through the modulation of various parameters. The clusters are oxidized (e.g., with PhICl2) or reduced (e.g., with H2) in situ. Changing the dendrimer properties (e.g., generation, terminal functional groups) is analogous to ligand modification in homogeneous catalysts, which affect both catalytic activity and selectivity. Similarly, pore size of the support is another factor in determining product distribution. In a flow reactor, the flow rate is adjusted to control the residence time of the starting material and intermediates, and thus the final product selectivity. Our approach to heterogeneous catalysis affords various advantages: (1) the catalyst system can tap into the reactivity typical to homogeneous catalysts, which conventional heterogeneous catalysts could not achieve; (2) unlike most homogeneous catalysts with comparable performance, the heterogenized homogeneous catalysts can be recycled; (3) improved activity or selectivity compared to conventional homogeneous catalysts is possible because of uniquely heterogeneous parameters for optimization. In this Account, we will briefly introduce metal clusters and describe the synthesis and characterizations of supported DEMCs. We will present the catalysis studies of supported DEMCs in both the batch and flow modes. Lastly, we will summarize the current state of heterogenizing homogeneous catalysis and provide future directions for this area of research.

Pt, Rh, and Pd nanoclusters stabilized by PAMAM dendrimer are used for the first time in a gas flow reactor at high temperature (150-250 degrees C). Pt nanoclusters show a very high activity for the hydrogenation of the methylcyclopentane (MCP) at 200-225 degrees C with turnover freqency (TOF) up to 334 h(-1) and selectivity up to 99.6% for the ring opening isomerization at very high conversion (94%). Rh nanoclusters show different selectivity for the reaction, that is, ring opening isomerization at 175 degrees C and cracking at higher temperature whereas Pd nanoclusters perform ring enlargement plus dehydrogenation, while maintaining a high activity. The difference in these results as compared to unsupported/uncapped nanoparticles, demonstrates the crucial role of dendrimer. The tenability of the selectivity of the reaction as well as the very high activity of the metal nanoclusters stabilized by dendrimer under heterogeneous conditions open a new application for dendrimer catalysts.

The Hayashi-Ito aldol reaction of methyl isocyanoacetate (MI) and benzaldehydes, a classic homogeneous Au(I)-catalyzed reaction, was studied with heterogenized homogeneous catalysts. Among dendrimer encapsulated nanoparticles (NPs) of Au, Pd, Rh, or Pt loaded in mesoporous supports and the homogeneous analogues, the Au NPs led to the highest yield and highest diastereoselectivity of products in toluene at room temperature. The Au catalyst was stable and was recycled for at least six runs without substantial deactivation. Moreover, larger pore sizes of the support and the use of a hydrophobic solvent led to a high selectivity for the trans diastereomer of the product. The activation energy is sensitive to neither the size of Au NPs nor the support. A linear Hammett plot was obtained with a positive slope, suggesting an increased electron density on the carbonyl carbon atom in the rate-limiting step. IR studies revealed a strong interaction between MI and the gold catalyst, supporting the proposed mechanism, in which rate-limiting step involves an electrophilic attack of the aldehyde on the enolate formed from the deprotonated MI.

Supramolecular nanoreactors are inspired by Nature to benefit, as enzymes, from specific confinement in order to accelerate catalytic reactions and render them specific. They use supramolecular interactions with substrates including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, van der Waals and pi-pi interactions, steric effects, shape complementarity, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic effects, providing hydrophobic pockets, strong substrate binding therein, transition-state or intermediate stabilization, and weak product binding. These nanoreactors are reviewed in this article, also including some of the work conducted in our laboratory. After the seminal catalytic studies carried out with crown ethers and cryptands, various other cage compounds have been used including cyclophanes, cyclodextrins, calixarenes, cucurbiturils, Zn-porphyrin macrocycles, cavitands, capsules composed of resorcinarenes, carcerands or tetrahedral assemblies, surfactant-based micelles and vesicles, and more recently dendrimers used as unimolecular micelles and yolk-shell or nanorattle structures. A large number of catalytic reactions has been performed with increased yields and selectivities compared to analogous reactions conducted in the absence of nanoreactors. The amount of required catalyst for complete and selective substrate transformation can be as low as the ppm for several reactions as recently shown with "click" dendritic nanoreactors. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

The recovery and reuse of catalysts is a major challenge in the development of sustainable chemical processes. Two methods at the frontier between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis have recently emerged for addressing this problem: loading the catalyst onto a dendrimer or onto a magnetic nanoparticle. In this Account, we describe representative examples of these two methods, primarily from our research group, and compare them. We then describe new chemistry that combines the benefits of these two methods of catalysis. Classic dendritic catalysis has involved either attaching the catalyst covalently at the branch termini or within the dendrimer core. We have used chelating pyridyltriazole ligands to insolubilize catalysts at the termini of dendrimers, providing an efficient, recyclable heterogeneous catalysts. With the addition of dendritic unimolecular micelles olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by commercial Grubbs-type ruthenium-benzylidene complexes in water required unusually low amounts of catalyst. When such dendritic micelles include intradendritic ligands, both the micellar effect and ligand acceleration promote faster catalysis in water. With these types of catalysts, we could carry out azide alkyne cycloaddition ("click") chemistry with only ppm amounts of CuSO4·5H2O and sodium ascorbate under ambient conditions. Alternatively we can attach catalysts to the surface of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), essentially magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), offering the opportunity to recover the catalysts using magnets. Taking advantage of the merits of both of these strategies, we and others have developed a new generation of recyclable catalysts: dendritic magnetically recoverable catalysts. In particular, some of our catalysts with a γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 core and 1,2,3-triazole tethers and loaded with Pd nanoparticles generate strong positive dendritic effects with respect to ligand loading, catalyst loading, catalytic activity and recyclability. In other words, the dendritic catalysts were more efficient and more stable than their nondendritic γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 analogues. The bulk at the dendritic periphery helps to localize the metal nanoparticles at the SPION core surface, which confers these advantages. We could also use sonification as a remarkably simple and efficient method to impregnate the SPIONs with dendrimer-encapsulated PdNPs. Catalysis within the hydrophobic dendrimer pockets that include ligands leads to rapid turnover with or without a γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 core. In addition, catalytically active metal nanoparticles are more robust when they are loaded onto the surface of a γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 dendritic core. Herein, we illustrate this chemistry with examples including olefin metathesis, click chemistry, cross carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, and selective alcohol oxidation.

The design of redox-robust polymers is called for in view of interactions with nanoparticles and surfaces toward applications in nanonetwork design, sensing, and catalysis. Redox-robust triazolylbiferrocenyl (trzBiFc) polymers have been synthesized with the organometallic group in the side chain by ring-opening metathesis polymerization using Grubbs-III catalyst or radical polymerization and with the organometallic group in the main chain by Cu(I) azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) catalyzed by [Cu(I)(hexabenzyltren)]Br. Oxidation of the trzBiFc polymers with ferricenium hexafluorophosphate yields the stable 35-electron class-II mixed-valent biferrocenium polymer. Oxidation of these polymers with Au(III) or Ag(I) gives nanosnake-shaped networks (observed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy) of this mixed-valent Fe(II)Fe(III) polymer with encapsulated metal nanoparticles (NPs) when the organoiron group is located on the side chain. The factors that are suggested to be synergistically responsible for the NP stabilization and network formation are the polymer bulk, the trz coordination, the nearby cationic charge of trzBiFc, and the inter-BiFc distance. For instance, reduction of such an oxidized trzBiFc-AuNP polymer to the neutral trzBiFc-AuNP polymer with NaBH4 destroys the network, and the product flocculates. The polymers easily provide modified electrodes that sense, via the oxidized Fe(II)Fe(III) and Fe(III)Fe(III) polymer states, respectively, ATP(2-) via the outer ferrocenyl units of the polymer and Pd(II) via the inner Fc units; this recognition works well in dichloromethane, but also to a lesser extent in water with NaCl as the electrolyte.

The engineering of novel catalytic nanomaterials that are highly active for crucial carbon-carbon bond formations, easily recoverable many times, and biocompatible is highly desirable in terms of sustainable and green chemistry. To this end, catalysts comprising dendritic "click" ligands that are immobilized on a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) core, terminated by triethylene glycol (TEG) groups, and incorporate Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) have been prepared. These nanomaterials are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, inductively coupled plasma analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. They are shown to be highly active, dispersible, and magnetically recoverable many times in Suzuki, Sonogashira, and Heck reactions. In addition, a series of pharmacologically relevant or natural products were successfully synthesized using these magnetic PdNPs as catalyst. For comparison, related PdNP catalysts deposited on MNPs bearing linear "click" PEGylated ligands are also prepared. Strong positive dendritic effects concerning ligand loading, catalyst loading, catalytic activity, and recyclability are observed, that is, the dendritic catalysts are much more efficient than non-dendritic analogues.