Synthesis and computational studies of a novel tethered diindane

Abstract

The Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, which were developed by Anastas and Warner in 1998, seek to reduce environmental risks and wastes produced by chemical processes and products. One of these principles, catalysis, is key, as the use of chemical catalysts eliminates waste that would result from the use of stochiometric amounts of reactant. Because of their favorable redox properties, precious transition metals such as palladium and rhodium are essential components of homogeneous organometallic catalysts used in a variety of important industrial processes. However, these metals are expensive and toxic and have significant environmental impact. In contrast, the base main group metal indium is relatively non-toxic and inexpensive and has seen utility as a metal center in Lewis acid catalysts. Indium is stable primarily in the +3 oxidation state, which limits its utility in catalytic processes where oxidative addition/reductive elimination reactions are required. The current work seeks to synthesize and characterize the novel redox active diindane [(NCN)In]2(naphth) (6), which will ultimately be tested as a redox active green catalyst. The synthetic routes explored and the structural characterization of the novel compounds [(NCN)InBr]2 (5) and [LiBr(TMEDA)]2 are reported.