Effect of Photolysis on Zirconium Amino Phenoxides for the Hydrophosphination of Alkenes: Improving Catalysis

A comparative study of amino phenoxide zirconium catalysts in the hydrophosphination of alkenes with diphenylphosphine reveals enhanced activity upon irradiation. The origin of improved reactivity is hypothesized to result from substrate insertion upon an n to d charge transfer of a Zr–P bond in the excited state of putative phosphido (Zr–PR2) intermediates. TD-DFT analysis reveals the lowest lying excited state in the proposed active catalysts are dominated by a P 3p to Zr 4d MLCT, presumably leading to enhanced catalysis. This hypothesis follows from triamidoamine-supported zirconium catalysts but demonstrates the generality of photocatalytic hydrophosphination with d0 metals.

Redox-switchable ring-opening polymerization by tridentate ONN-type titanium and zirconium catalysts

A study designed to ascertain the impact that ligand symmetry, number of redox-active moieties, and identity of the active metal center have on the catalytic ring-opening polymerization performance of redox-switchable catalysts.

Investigation of redox switchable titanium and zirconium catalysts for the ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters and epoxides

The synthesis and characterization of (thiolfan*)Zr(OtBu)2 (thiolfan* = 1,1′-di(2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-thiophenoxide)ferrocene) is reported, as well as its activity toward the ring-opening polymerizations of l-lactide and ε-caprolactone.

Novel yttrium and zirconium catalysts featuring reduced Ar-BIANH2 ligands for olefin hydroamination (Ar-BIANH2 = bis-arylaminoacenaphthylene)

Even demanding aminoalkenes can be cyclized by Ar-BIANH2 yttrium complexes; a related zirconium complex has been crystallographically characterized.