Homogeneous Catalysis

Goals
The course describes the main industrial processes involving organometallic homogeneous catalysis. The processes are described in a way that the students can become acquainted with the problems encountered when passing from a laboratory to an industrial scale, but without dealing with engineering aspects

Acquired skills
Acquire the knowledge to be able to examine a homogeneous catalytic process not only for the reactivity/selectivity aspects, but also from the point of view of the stability, activity and reciclability of the catalyst on a large scale.


Course content
Industrial and laboratory processes for the production of base and fine chemicals, employing transition metal complexes as catalysts in the homogeneous phase. A special attention is given to industrial processes. Isomerization, polymerization, hydrogenation (even asymmetric) of olefins, ketones and imines; hydrocyanation and hydrosilylation of olefins; alkyne reactions; organic halides carbonylation; carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid, acetic anhydride and vinylacetate; hydroformylation reactions; olefin carboxylation; olefin metathesis; cyclopropanation reactions; olefin-CO copolymerization; dimethylcarbonate and dimethyloxalate synthesis; reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes.

Suggested prerequisites
Chimica Inorganica A


Reference material
Trasparancies of the lessons
Steinborn, Foundamentals of Organometallic Catalysis, Wiley-VCH, 2012
van Leuween,, Homogeneous Catalysis, Kluwer, 2004


Assessment method
Oral exam. The exam constitutes of a series of questions aimed at assessing the level of knowledge of the field reached by the students and their ability to manage the concepts acquired during the course.

Language of instruction
English

Attendance Policy:
Strongly recommended

Mode of teaching:
Traditional