Publications

Diesters are of fundamental importance in the chemical industry and are used for many applications, e.g. as plasticizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, and lubricants. Herein, we present a straightforward and efficient method for the selective synthesis of diesters via palladium-catalyzed direct carbonylation of di- or polyols with readily available alkenes. Key-to-success is the use of a specific palladium catalyst with the “built-in-base” ligand ...

Visible light photocatalysis has evolved into a promising mild and sustainable strategy to access radicals. This field unlocks formerly challenging or even previously inaccessible organic transformations. In this review, an overview of some lesser-known modes of photochemical activation of organic molecules and several emerging techniques within the versatile field of visible light photocatalysis are discussed. These are illustrated by selected ...

Visible light photocatalysis has established itself as a promising sustainable and powerful strategy to access reactive intermediates, i.e. radicals and radical ions, under mild reaction conditions using visible light irradiation. This field enables the development of formerly challenging or even previously inaccessible organic transformations. In this tutorial review, an overview of the essential concepts and techniques of ...

The rise of CO 2 in atmosphere is considered as the major reason for global warming. Therefore, CO 2 utilization has attracted more and more attention. Among those, using CO 2 as C1-feedstock for the chemical industry provides a solution. Here we show a two-step cascade process to perform catalytic carbonylations of olefins, alkynes, and aryl halides utilizing CO 2 and H 2 . For the first step, a novel heterogeneous copper 10Cu@SiO 2 -PHM ...

The reaction mechanism of quinuclidine mediated C-H oxidation of unactivated C-H bonds has been elucidated. In-situ cathodically generated H2O2 was shown to diffuse to the anode where it is oxidized and participates in the ketonization reaction. Further oxidation of H2O2 to H2O, O2 and H+ leads to glassy carbon surface degradation. Oxidation of quinuclidine was shown be kinetic-diffusion control limited and shown to be irreversible at 0 and 1 M ...

An iron-catalysed carbene transfer reaction of diazo compounds to isocyanides has been developed. The resulting ketenimines are trapped in situ with various bisnucleophiles to access a range of densely functionalized heterocycles (pyrimidinones, dihydropyrazolones, 1H-tetrazoles) in a one-pot process. The electron-rich Hieber anion ([Fe(CO)(3)NO](-)) facilitates efficient catalytic carbene transfer from acceptor-type alpha-diazo carbonyl ...

o-Phenylene N-substituted iminocarbonates have been obtained by aerobic Ni-catalyzed reaction of readily available catechols and isocyanides. The choice of oxidant and absence of base proved crucial to avoid competitive catechol oxidation into (semi)quinone, leading to degradation. The developed protocol is generally applicable on other oxidation-sensitive aromatic 1,2-bisnucleophiles, generating a variety of important bicyclic heterocycles from ...

Acetate serves as a renewable and easily installed leaving group for selective deoxygenation of phenolics (ArOH). Ni-catalyzed hydrodeacetoxylation of aryl acetates (Ar-OAc) with HBpin in a green carbonate solvent selectively delivers the corresponding deoxygenated arenes (ArH). The method is also applicable to highly challenging guaiacyl and syringyl acetates, leaving -OMe groups intact without arene reduction. Renewable 4-propylguaiacol ...

The catalyst-free synthesis of urethanes from cyclic iminocarbonates, used as masked isocyanates, and soft nucleophiles (i.e. carboxylic acids and thiols) has been studied. Remarkably, the ring-opening reaction was fully site-selective (i.e. methylene). The disclosed method showed high functional group tolerance towards carboxylic acids bearing alkyl-, alkenyl-, ketone-, pyrone- and hydroxyl groups. This methodology was further applied for the ...

Transition metal-catalysed carbene- and nitrene transfer to the C1-building blocks carbon monoxide and isocyanides provides heteroallenes (i.e. ketenes, isocyanates, ketenimines and carbodiimides). These are versatile and reactive compounds allowing in situ transformation towards numerous functional groups and organic compounds, including heterocycles. Both one-pot and tandem processes have been developed providing valuable synthetic methods for ...