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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Development of Heterogeneous Enantioselective Catalysts using Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks MOFs
Published on: January 17, 2020
Well-defined Zn-complexes in homogeneous catalysis: recent advances and future scope
Subhasree Pal1, Amit Kumar Guin1, Nanda D Paul1
1Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103, India. ndpaul2014@chem.iiests.ac.in.
This review explores well-designed zinc complexes as catalysts for diverse chemical reactions, moving beyond traditional Lewis acid applications. These advanced zinc catalysts offer enhanced selectivity and versatility in organic synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Catalysis
- Synthetic Chemistry
Background:
- Zinc is a vital trace element involved in numerous biological functions.
- Its catalytic applications in synthetic chemistry are traditionally limited to simple Lewis acid roles.
- Well-defined zinc complexes with tailored ligands offer unexplored catalytic potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the advancements in well-defined zinc complexes for homogeneous catalysis.
- To highlight their expanded catalytic roles beyond traditional Lewis acid behavior.
- To summarize recent developments in zinc-catalyzed multielectron and asymmetric reactions.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on homogeneous catalysis using well-defined zinc complexes.
- Analysis of catalytic mechanisms, including sigma bond metathesis and insertion steps.
- Exploration of zinc complexes with diverse organic and chiral ligands.
Main Results:
- Well-designed ligands enable efficient and selective zinc catalysts.
- Zinc complexes catalyze a wide range of reactions including borylation, silylation, and CO2 insertion.
- Recent studies demonstrate zinc's capability in multielectron and asymmetric catalysis.
Conclusions:
- Tailored zinc complexes represent a versatile platform for advanced homogeneous catalysis.
- These catalysts offer improved selectivity and enable novel transformations.
- Further research into chiral zinc complexes holds promise for asymmetric synthesis.
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