Ali Hamieh

Alkane Metathesis with the Tantalum Methylidene [( SiO)Ta(=CH2)Me-2]/[( SiO)(2)Ta(=CH2)Me] Generated from Well-Defined Surface Organometallic Complex [( SiO)(TaMe4)-Me-V]

By grafting TaMe5 on Aerosil700, a stable, well-defined, silica-supported tetramethyl tantalum(V) complex, [(≡SiO)TaMe4], is obtained on the silica surface. After thermal treatment at 150 °C, the complex is transformed into two surface tantalum methylidenes, [(≡SiO)2Ta(═CH2)Me] and [(≡SiO)Ta(═CH2)Me2], which are active in alkane metathesis and comparable to the previously reported [(≡SiO)2TaHx]. Here we present the first experimental study to isolate and identify a surface tantalum carbene as the intermediate in alkane metathesis. A systematic experimental study reveals a new reasonable pathway for this reaction.

Effect of Support on Metathesis of n‐Decane: Drastic Improvement in Alkane Metathesis with WMe5 Linked to Silica–Alumina

[WMe6 ] (1) supported on the surface of SiO2 -Al2 O3(500) (2) has been extensively characterized by solid-state NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and gas quantification, which clearly reveal the formation of a mixture of monopodal and bipodal species with the migration of methyl from W to Al. The supported species SiO2 -Al2 O3(500) (2) transformed at 120 °C into two types of carbynic centers, one of which is cationic and the other neutral. These species are very efficient for the metathesis of n-decane. Comparison with already-synthesized neutral bipodal tungsten indicates that the high increase in activity is due to the cationic character of the grafted tungsten.

Unearthing a Well-Defined Highly Active Bimetallic W/Ti Precatalyst Anchored on a Single Silica Surface for Metathesis of Propane

Two compatible organometallic complexes, W(Me)6 (1) and TiNp4 (2), were successively anchored on a highly dehydroxylated single silica support (SiO2-700) to synthesize the well-defined bimetallic precatalyst [(≡Si-O-)W(Me)5(≡Si-O-)Ti(Np)3] (4). Precatalyst 4 was characterized at the molecular level using advanced surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) characterization techniques. The strong autocorrelation observed between methyl of W and Ti in 1H-1H multiple-quantum NMR spectra demonstrates that W and Ti species are in close proximity to each other. The bimetallic precatalyst 4, with a turnover number (TON) of 9784, proved to be significantly more efficient than the silica-supported monometallic catalyst [(≡Si-O-)W(Me)5] (3), with a TON of 98, for propane metathesis at 150 °C in a flow reactor. The dramatic improvement in the activity signifies the cooperativity between Ti and W and indicates that the key step of alkane metathesis (C-H bond activation followed by β-H elimination) occurs on Ti, followed by olefin metathesis, which occurs on W. We have demonstrated the influence and importance of proximity of Ti to W for achieving such a significantly high activity. This is the first report demonstrating the considerably high activity (TON = 9784) in propane metathesis at moderate temperature (150 °C) using a well-defined bimetallic system prepared via the SOMC approach.

SOMC-Designed Silica Supported Tungsten Oxo Imidazolin-2-iminato Methyl Precatalyst for Olefin Metathesis Reactions

Synthesis, structure, and olefin metathesis activity of a surface complex [(≡Si-O-)W(═O)(CH3)2-ImDippN] (4) (ImDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-iminato) supported on silica by a surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) approach are reported. The reaction of N-silylated 2-iminoimidazoline with tungsten(VI) oxytetrachloride generated the tungsten oxo imidazolin-2-iminato chloride complex [ImDippNW(═O)Cl3] (2). This was grafted on partially dehydroxylated silica pretreated at 700 °C (SiO2-700) to afford a well-defined monopodal surface complex [(≡Si-O-)W(═O)Cl2-ImDippN] (3). 3 underwent alkylation by ZnMe2 to produce [(≡Si-O-)W(═O)(CH3)2-ImDippN] (4). The alkylated surface complex was thoroughly characterized by solid-state NMR, elemental microanalysis, Raman, FT-IR spectroscopies, and XAS analysis. 4 proved to be an active precatalyst for self-metathesis of terminal olefins such as propylene and 1-hexene.

Synergy between Two Metal Catalysts: A Highly Active Silica-Supported Bimetallic W/Zr Catalyst for Metathesis of n-Decane

A well-defined, silica-supported bimetallic precatalyst [≡Si-O-W(Me)5≡Si-O-Zr(Np)3] (4) has been synthesized for the first time by successively grafting two organometallic complexes [W(Me)6 (1) followed by ZrNp4 (2)] on a single silica support. Surprisingly, multiple-quantum NMR characterization demonstrates that W and Zr species are in close proximity to each other. Hydrogenation of this bimetallic catalyst at room temperature showed the easy formation of zirconium hydride, probably facilitated by tungsten hydride which was formed at this temperature. This bimetallic W/Zr hydride precatalyst proved to be more efficient (TON = 1436) than the monometallic W hydride (TON = 650) in the metathesis of n-decane at 150 °C. This synergy between Zr and W suggests that the slow step of alkane metathesis is the C-H bond activation that occurs on Zr. The produced olefin resulting from a β-H elimination undergoes easy metathesis on W.