Organometallic chemistry intro
Undergraduate · Chemistry
Syllabus focus
Standard syllabus · STEM / applied
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Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Fundamentals of organometallic compounds
- Definition and classification of organometallic compounds
- 18-electron rule and electron counting
- Common ligand types: CO, phosphines, alkyls, aryls, η-ligands
- Oxidation states of transition metals in organometallics
- Coordination geometries in organometallic complexes
- Metal–carbon bond strengths and reactivity trends
- Nomenclature of organometallic compounds
- Stability and sensitivity: air, moisture, temperature
- Historical development: Zeise's salt to modern catalysis
- Overview of d-block organometallic chemistry
Key reactions and mechanisms
- Oxidative addition and reductive elimination
- Insertion reactions: migratory insertion, β-hydride elimination
- Nucleophilic attack on coordinated ligands
- Transmetalation in cross-coupling catalysis
- Ligand substitution in 16- and 18-electron complexes
- Associative vs dissociative substitution mechanisms
- Electron counting in catalytic cycles
- Role of ancillary ligands in tuning reactivity
- Spectator vs participating ligands
- Curved-arrow mechanisms for organometallic steps
Catalytic cycles and named reactions
- Wilkinson's catalyst: alkene hydrogenation
- Monsanto acetic acid process: rhodium-catalyzed carbonylation
- Hydroformylation: cobalt and rhodium catalysts
- Olefin metathesis: Grubbs catalysts (overview)
- Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling: Suzuki, Heck, Sonogashira
- Buchwald–Hartwig amination (introduction)
- Asymmetric hydrogenation with chiral phosphine ligands
- Ziegler–Natta and metallocene olefin polymerization
- Shilov system and C–H activation (overview)
- Industrial relevance of each catalytic process
Characterization and synthesis
- Synthesis under inert atmosphere: Schlenk techniques
- NMR of organometallics: fluxionality and dynamic behavior
- IR spectroscopy of metal–CO and metal–hydride stretches
- X-ray crystallography for structure determination
- Cyclic voltammetry of redox-active complexes
- Decomposition pathways and handling precautions
- Common starting materials: metal carbonyls, metal halides
- Ligand exchange and synthesis of phosphine complexes
- Scale-up considerations for organometallic reactions
- Green alternatives in organometallic catalysis
STEM / applied
Laboratory and applications
- Air-sensitive synthesis of ferrocene or similar complex
- Catalytic hydrogenation demonstration
- Cross-coupling reaction at small scale
- Glovebox operation and inert gas techniques
- GC analysis of catalytic reaction products
- Literature search for catalytic procedures
- Process chemistry perspective on catalytic steps
- Pharmaceutical applications of cross-coupling
- Fine chemical synthesis using organometallic catalysis
- Safety with pyrophoric reagents and carbon monoxide
Applied organometallic chemistry
- Homogeneous vs heterogeneous catalysis in industry
- Battery and energy materials: organometallic precursors for CVD
- OLED and display technology: organometallic emitters
- Agrochemical synthesis via catalytic methods
- Petrochemical refining catalysis
- Academic research trends in C–H activation
- Nobel Prize discoveries in organometallic chemistry
- Career paths in catalysis and process chemistry
- Intellectual property in catalyst ligand design
- Case studies in catalyst commercialization
Notes
Introduction to organometallic chemistry for undergraduates. Topics reflect common organometallic intro syllabi at US colleges and universities. Prior inorganic and organic chemistry background required. Air-sensitive lab work may be demonstrated or simulated depending on facilities.