Research Division Prof. Eduardo Peris

During the last decade, this division developed an intense research activity on the chemistry and catalytic applications of N-heterocylic-carbene-based organotransition metal catalysts. In this regard, most of the activity has been devoted to the preparation of new catalysts for the activation of small molecules, paying special attention to processes implying the activation of C-H bonds, carbon dioxide, and reactions implying borrowing-hydrogen methodologies. When designing a metal-based catalyst it is important to consider that the availability and accessibility of ligands are going to determine the applicability of the complex, because a very effective catalyst with difficult-to-obtain ligands is going to hardly attract the chemical industry. This is the reason why the main objective of our research has been the preparation of easy-to-make ligands that may introduce properties that go beyond those derived from their inherent stereoelectronic character.

The current research interest of the division is:

• The design of catalysts for tandem catalytic reactions. Several homo- and heterodimetalic complexes have been obtained for this purpose. The use of heterodimetallic complexes of Ir/Rh and Ir/Pd, allowed for studying their activity in catalytic tandem processes in which each metal mediated a mechanistically distinct reaction. An interesting feature of polymetallic complexes is their potential ability to show physical and chemical properties that vary substantially compared to those shown by their monometalic analogues. Some of these differences are attributed to the possibility for metal-metal interactions, also referred to as ‘cooperative effect’.
• The preparation of homogeneous catalysts with rigid polyaromatic tags. The presence of the rigid polyaromatic core facilitates Π-stacking interactions between the ligand and the aromatic substrates. We studied the influence of Π-stacking in the catalytic properties of complexes with polyaromatic ligands. By establishing the fundamental understanding of this influence we introduced a new valuable parameter for the design of effective catalysts. In our studies we now pursue special attention to processes implying the formation of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds, due to the great demand of synthetic procedures that allow the preparation of organic molecules with high added value.
• Preparation of three-dimensional organometallic molecules with cavities, for the recognition of small molecules and selective catalysts. The aim of this action is to design and develop novel ligands for the preparation of organometallic three-dimensional structures with well-defined cavities. Among these types of ligands, special interest is given to the development of NHC-based cavitands (host molecules with open-ended enforced concave cavities), for the selective encapsulation and ulterior activation of alkanes.
• All the members of the groups have a very vast experience in the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of the catalytic properties of organotransition metal complexes.

Short Biography of Prof. Peris

Eduardo Peris (Researcher ID: C-8608-2013)graduated in Chemistry in 1988 in Valencia. He received his Ph.D. Degree in Chemistry (1991) in the Universidad de Valencia, under the supervision of Prof. Pascual Lahuerta. In 1994 he joined Robert Crabtree’s group at Yale University, where he stayed for two years, working on a research project regarding the determination of hydrogen bonding to metal hydrides (dihydrogen bond). In October 1995 he moved to the Universitat Jaume I (Castellón-Spain) as an Assistant Professor (1995-1997), Lecturer (1997-2007) and finally Professor of Inorganic Chemistry. At the Universitat Jaume I he started a research project related to the use of organometallic push-pull compounds with non-linear-optical properties. The current interest of his group is the design of new polytopic rigid N-heterocyclic carbene ligands (NHCs) that can be applied to the preparation of improved catalysts and advanced materials with attractive physical properties. He has published over 170 research articles, which currently achieved more than 9400 citations. His h-index is 52. In 2007-2011 he belonged to the editorial board of Organometallics. In 2012 he was awarded the ‘Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry ’ award in the field of Inorganic Chemistry Research. In September 2014, he was elected President of the Spanish Organometallic Chemistry Division (GEQO), from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ).