• Caesium Fluoride-Mediated Hydrocarboxylation of Alkenes and Allenes: Scope and Mechanistic Insights 

      Gevorgyan, Ashot; Obst, Marc; Guttormsen, Yngve; Maseras, Feliu; Hopmann, Kathrin Helen; Bayer, Annette (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2019-09-11)
      A caesium fluoride-mediated hydrocarboxylation of olefins is disclosed that does not rely on precious transition metal catalysts and ligands. The reaction occurs at atmospheric pressures of CO<sub>2</sub> in the presence of 9-BBN as a stoichiometric reductant. Stilbenes, β-substituted styrenes and allenes could be carboxylated in good yields. The developed methodology can be used for preparation of ...
    • Carbon-carbon bonds with CO2: Insights from computational studies 

      Obst, Marc; Pavlovic, Ljiljana; Hopmann, Kathrin Helen (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2018-02-17)
      In this mini-review, we provide an overview of recent computational studies on homogeneous transition metal-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation with CO2. We cover substitution and addition reactions involving different metals (mainly Ni, Rh, Cu) and substrates (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, arenes) with focus on the mechanistic details. The CO2 insertion step is generally found to be rate-limiting. ...
    • Mechanistic Insights into Copper-Catalyzed Carboxylations 

      Obst, Marc; Gevorgyan, Ashot; Bayer, Annette; Hopmann, Kathrin Helen (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2020-01-02)
      The copper-NHC-catalyzed carboxylation of organoboranes with CO<sub>2</sub> was investigated using computational and experimental methods. The DFT and DLPNO-CCSD(T) results indicate that nonbenzylic substrates are converted via an inner-sphere carboxylation of an organocopper intermediate, whereas benzylic substrates may simultaneously proceed along both inner- and outer-sphere CO<sub>2</sub> insertion ...
    • Ni(I)–Alkyl Complexes Bearing Phenanthroline Ligands: Experimental Evidence for CO2 Insertion at Ni(I) Centers 

      Somerville, Rosie J.; Odena, Carlota; Obst, Marc; Hazari, Nilay; Hopmann, Kathrin Helen; Martin, Ruben (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2020-06-10)
      Although the catalytic carboxylation of unactivated alkyl electrophiles has reached remarkable levels of sophistication, the intermediacy of (phenanthroline)Ni(I)–alkyl species—complexes proposed in numerous Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling reactions—has been subject to speculation. Herein we report the synthesis of such elusive (phenanthroline)Ni(I) species and their reactivity with CO<sub>2</sub>, ...