The Development of Ru(II) and Fe(II) Complexes for C-H and H2 Bond Activation

Abstract

Hydrocarbons serve as the feedstocks for numerous commodity chemicals. Industrial methods to functionalize hydrocarbons in order to convert them into higher value chemicals often involve cost and energy intensive processes. Furthermore, these processes often do not provide high selectivity for the desired products. Thus, the development of a catalytic method to functionalize hydrocarbons with high selectivity and under mild reaction conditions is highly attractive. C-H bond activation, the breaking of a substrate's C-H bond, is a vital step in hydrocarbon functionalization. The work described in this thesis involves the development and