Dorta Laboratory Research

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General research projects Research in the Dorta group is directed toward the preparation of reactive transition metal complexes for stoichiometric and catalytic applications. We focus our attention on the development of new chiral and non-chiral auxiliary ligand system which are able to bind, activate and functionalize the substrates at the metal center. Specific emphasis will be put on the development of new chiral ligand families for asymmetric catalysis and new, highly electron-donating ligands for late transition metals. The ultimate goal of our research program will be to identify complexes for new, more selective or more widely applicable catalytic transformations.

Novel Chiral, Chelating Ligand Systems Based on Sulfoxides This project introduces new chiral, chelating sulfoxide ligands for late-transition metal catalysts. Sulfoxides (chiral or non-chiral) have only sporadically been studied as ligand entities for transition metal catalysts, although their ligand properties seem to be very close to the widely used arylphosphines. The working hypothesis is that the somewhat attenuated electron density at the metal center should afford complexes that are inherently more selective than the commonly employed metal-phosphine chelates.

Chelating, Anionic Nitrogen Ligands for the Stabilization of Unsaturated Late-transition Metal Complexes         Anionic, N-based chelate ligands have been employed very successfully as ligands for early transition and main group metals. Not surprisingly, relatively few reports have appeared using these ‘hard’ ligands for stabilizing the relatively ‘soft’ late-transition metals (LTM’s). However, some recent reports show that such chelating anionic ligands are good candidates for stabilizing highly unsaturated, low and high valent LTM’s and we believe that a plethora of interesting and novel LTM chemistry will be seen with such mono- and di-anionic nitrogen ligands.

Chiral N-heterocyclic Carbenes Stable nucleophilic carbenes have found increased use as catalysts and ligands in organic synthesis. Our ongoing interest in this field focuses on simple, effective chiral versions of these molecules. Such systems will then be used as organocatalysts or ligands for transition metal catalyzed reactions.

Metal Complexation to Curved Aromatic Surfaces In collaboration with the groups of Profs Baldridge and Siegel (UZH, OCI), we are looking into the possibility of binding metal compounds onto curved aromatic surfaces of corannulene and its derivatives. First results indicate that d8 metals have a preference for η6 binding to the six-membered rings, but that some of these metals can walk over the curved surface of corannulene. We are currently trying to figure out which factors govern these processes.