Metal-free methods for the reduction of organic compounds

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All of the key chemical manufacturers, including the pharmaceutical, commodity chemical and agrochemical sectors, use reduction chemistry as part of their synthetic repertoire. This reaction is typically accomplished in one of two ways, either employing expensive transition metal catalysts (for example based on palladium or rhodium) and hydrogen gas, or using stoichiometric amounts of main group metal hydrides such as those of aluminum or boron. In the former case, although the metal catalyst is expensive, its removal from the final product is often more costly than the purchase of the metal itself. In the latter case, safety concerns hamper the use of certain metal hydrides in large scale reactions. In addition, these reactions lead to the production of large quantities of waste. We have proposed an alternative strategy which involves the use of an organic catalyst for this reaction which will: improve safety, reduce waste, and increase efficiency. This proposal is based on the novel concept of Frustrated Lewis Pair chemistry, described for the first time only four years ago. In this approach, an acid and a base are prevented from reacting together by steric bulk, and instead cooperate to activate other small molecules that permit their acidity and basicity to be quenched. The project will be carried out collaboratively at Queen's University and the University of Toronto. Industrial collaborators are from Piramal in Toronto, which is an international company with a significant research presence in Canada specializing in custom synthesis. Our other supporting organization is BASF, the largest chemical company in the world. BASF has a significant interest in boron chemistry and has a division specializing in this area. As such, they are a strong collaborator in this project. Our contact person at BASF, Dr. Karl Matos, is a specialist in boron chemistry, and was one of the primary authors on some of the literature used as the basis for this work. The students involved in this work will obtain a unique education in catalysis, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry. They will have significant interactions with the two organizations during the project.