Ateneo - UPO

Concepts, examples and industrial applications of
Metal-based homogeneous catalysis
Organocatalysis
Biocatalysis
Stereoselective homogeneous catalysis
Introduction to photocatalysis and electrocatalysis

Catalysis, An Integrated Textbook for Students, U. Hanefeld, L. Lefferts, Wiley-VCH 2018, ISBN 978-3-527-34159-7

Lesson slides.

Knowledge of the main catalytic systems operating in homogeneous phase, their mechanisms of action and their applications to the development of sustainable industrial processes.

Basic concepts of organic, inorganic and coordination chemistry.

Classroom lessons (slides, movies and blackboard exercises). The course material (pdf/ppt files of slides) will be made available to the students in the online platform.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The oral examination consists of two parts:
• Presentation of a graphical abstract, prepared by the student according to the guidelines provided during the course. The presentation is intended to assess the student's ability to effectively summarize and communicate scientific content through a graphical format.
• Oral discussion on the topics covered during the lectures on homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous catalysis, aimed at evaluating the student's understanding of the theoretical principles, mastery of the scientific terminology, and ability to critically connect the concepts addressed throughout the course.
The final assessment will take into account both the scientific quality and communication effectiveness of the graphical abstract, as well as the student's performance during the oral discussion.

Metal-based homogeneous catalysis Introduction: coordination chemistry concepts (ligands, chelating agents, coordination number, geometry, stereochemistry). Elementary steps in metal-based systems: ligand exchange, oxidative addition, reductive elimination, insertion, migration, others. Industrial application of metal-based homogeneous catalysis: hydrogenation, carbonylation (and related processes), C-C coupling and polymerization, methathesis C-H activation, oxidation/reduction. Stereoselectivity in the metal-based homogeneous catalysis. Organocatalysis Acids: Brønsted, Lewis, chiral Base/nucleophilic catalysis. Iminium/enamine. Phase Transfer Catalysis. Introduction to photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. Stereoselectivity in organocatalysis. Biocatalysis. Biocatalysed reactions. Industrial applications of biocatalysis.

Knowledge and understanding:
-Knowledge of the basic concepts of homogeneous catalysis, of the main types of homogeneous catalysts and understanding their mechanism of action.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
-Ability to select the correct homogeneous catalysts for specific reactions of chemical processes.
Making judgements:
- Ability to evaluate the effect of a homogeneous catalyst on the progress of a chemical reaction.
Communication skills:
- ability to communicate concepts, mechanisms of action and results related to problems of homogeneous catalysis, in a correct and concise way and using adequate scientific terminology.
Learning skills:
-Ability to autonomously retrieve information related to homogeneous catalysis from textbooks, scientific literature and databases.