Denys Mavrynsky

Improved synthesis of Bn 5 CpRu(CO) 2 Cl and its application as racemization catalyst in preparative-scale metalloenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of 1-phenylethanol

An improved gram-scale synthesis of Bn5CpRu(CO)2Cl is reported based on heating of pentabenzylcyclopentadiene with Ru3(CO)12 at 160 °C under argon atmosphere in mesitylene followed by addition of chloroform, continued heating, and evaporation of the solvents. Subsequent washing of unreacted ligand precursor with hexane provided pure title compound in 77 % yield. In combination with Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B) (Novozym 435), this complex forms a highly active racemization catalyst for metallo-enzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of secondary alcohols as demonstrated in the present work by converting 100 g of racemic 1-phenylethanol to (R)-1-phenylethanol in >99 % ee and 93 % overall yield over two steps using 0.05 mol % loading of the metal catalyst and 1 mass % loading of immobilized enzyme. In addition, the synthesis and crystallographic characterization of the palladium congener Bn5CpPd(PPh3)Cl are briefly discussed.

Analysis of dye degradation products and assessment of the dye purity in dye-sensitized solar cells.

RATIONALE For commercialization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), improvement of their long-term stability and efficiency is important. A key component in solar cells is the dye, its high purity and high stability. Here, methods for dye extraction and purification, and for determination of dye purity and dye degradation in DSSCs, were developed. METHODS A method was developed for extraction of the dye Z907 from intact solar cells using a water/ethanol mixture containing tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. The N719 dye synthesized in our laboratory was purified by gel filtration on Sephadex LH20. These dyes, along with the dyes N3 and RuL2 (NC)2, were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass analyzer (LC/MS) operating in negative ionization mode. RESULTS Purification of the synthesized N719 removed several impurities, including its undesired isomer with the thiocyanate ligand attached to ruthenium through sulfur instead of nitrogen. The dyes N719 and Z907 were successfully extracted from solar cells and together with N3 and RuL2 (NC)2 analyzed by LC/MS, although N719 isomerized almost immediately in basic aqueous solution. The [M-H](-1) ions were observed and the measured mass was within a ±6 ppm range from the exact mass. CONCLUSIONS LC/MS in combination with NMR spectroscopy was shown to provide useful information on dye structure, purity, and on the efficiency of the purification methods. These methods allow for further studies of solar cell dyes, which may provide the detailed information needed for the improvement and eventual commercialization of the solar cell technology.

Kinetic Studies on sec-Alcohol Racemization with Dicarbonylchloro(pentabenzylcyclopentadienyl)- and Dicarbonylchloro(pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium Catalysts

Pentasubstituted cyclopentadienyl complexes of ruthenium R5CpRu(CO)2Cl (R=Ph, benzyl) form, upon activation with tBuOK, highly active catalysts for racemization of chiral sec‐alcohols. In combination with suitable resolving enzymes, such catalyst systems can efficiently be utilized for dynamic kinetic resolution reactions providing chiral alcohols, after hydrolysis of the corresponding acetates, in high yields and high enantiomeric purities. Here, three such ruthenium complexes were first characterized by NMR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry analysis (CVA) for elucidating their electronic characteristics in detail. Then, accurate kinetic studies were performed providing for the first time the calculated racemization rate constants for such catalyst systems. Furthermore, the dependence of the racemization rate on the electronic structure of the catalyst was investigated from the Hammett constants, substitution patterns of the substrate, and by isotopic labeling studies. The results obtained support the earlier suggested racemization reaction mechanism and indicated that the electron‐rich catalyst Bn5CpRu(CO)2Cl (Bn=benzyl) racemizes electron‐rich substrates more efficiently and in most cases faster than its pentaphenyl substituted analogue, formerly often considered as the leading catalyst candidate for dynamic kinetic resolution applications. The electron‐deficient catalyst Ph5CpRu(CO)2Cl, in turn, is more efficient for electron‐poor substrates.