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Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
Published on: October 18, 2019
Dicoordinate Au(I)-Ethylene Complexes as Hydroamination Catalysts
Miquel Navarro1, Macarena G Alférez1, Morgane de Sousa1
1Departamento de Química Inorgánica and Centro de Innovación en Química Avanzada (ORFEO-CINQA), Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and University of Sevilla, Sevilla 41092, Spain.
Abstract:
A series of gold(I)-ethylene π-complexes containing a family of bulky phosphine ligands has been prepared. The use of these sterically congested ligands is crucial to stabilize the gold(I)-ethylene bond and prevent decomposition, boosting up their catalytic performance in the highly underexplored hydroamination of ethylene. The precatalysts bearing the most sterically demanding phosphines showed the best results reaching full conversion to the hydroaminated products under notably mild conditions (1 bar of ethylene pressure at 60 °C). Kinetic analysis together with density functional theory calculations revealed that the assistance of a second molecule of the nucleophile as a proton shuttle is preferred even when using an extremely congested cavity-shaped Au(I) complex. In addition, we have measured a strong primary kinetic isotopic effect that is consistent with the involvement of X-H bond-breaking events in the protodeauration turnover-limiting step.
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