A Novel Method for Permeability Estimation from Micro-tomographic Images

Transport in Porous Media - A methodology has been developed to create a pore network model (PNM) from the geometrical/topological information extracted from the micro-tomographic images of a...     

Cobalt-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Trisubstituted Carbocyclic Olefins: An Access to Chiral Cyclic Amides

The enantioselective hydrogenation of cyclic enamides has been achieved using an earth-abundant cobalt-bisphosphine catalyst. Using CoCl₂/(S,S)-Ph-BPE, several trisubstituted carbocyclic enamides were reduced with high activity and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99 %) to the corresponding saturated amides. The methodology can be extended to the synthesis of chiral amines by base hydrolysis of the hydrogenation products. Preliminary mechanistic investigations reveal the presence of a high spin cobalt (II) species in the catalytic cycle. We propose that the hydrogenation of the carbon-carbon double bond proceeds via a sigma-bond-metathesis pathway.     

TBAI/TBHP‐Promoted Generation of Malonyl Radicals: Oxidative Coupling with Styrenes Leads to γ‐Keto Diesters

A metal‐free protocol for oxidative coupling of malonic esters with styrenes to form γ‐keto diesters has been developed. Key to the success of this process is the generation of malonyl radicals from unfunctionalized malonic esters under organo‐catalysis conditions with TBAI and TBHP. This process tolerates both terminal and internal olefins with diverse malonic esters. It provides a new green metal‐free alternative to traditional metal mediated process for generation of malonyl radicals and there by γ‐keto diesters.     

Cobalt-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Substrate Specificity and Mechanistic Variability

Asymmetric hydrogenation finds widespread application in academia and industry. And indeed, a number of processes have been implemented for the production of pharma and agro intermediates as well as flavors & fragrances. Although these processes are all based on the use of late transition metals as catalysts, there is an increasing interest in the use of base metal catalysis in view of their lower cost and the expected different substrate scope. Catalysts based on cobalt have already shown their potential in enantioselective hydrogenation chemistry. This review outlines the impressive progress made in recent years on cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of different unsaturated substrates. We also illustrate the ligand dependent substrate specificity as well as the mechanistic variability in detail. This may well guide further catalyst development in this research area.