Systems catalysis
The NRSC-Catalysis program is also advancing a systems approach to catalysis, which analyzes functional catalytic systems
in which multiple molecular processes are combined and regulated to carry out a catalytic operation. The goal of systems catalysis
is to combine homogeneous, heterogeneous, and biocatalytic methods. A potential advantage of a systems approach to catalysis
is to create "one-pot" multiple component catalyst systems for multistep synthesis. Most traditional synthesis is performed
sequentially by ending one reaction step and then proceeding to the next reaction step, which may involve solvent and temperature
swaps, liquid–liquid extractions, product crystallization, chromatographic purification, distillation, the addition or removal
of protecting groups, and the addition and removal of reagents and catalysts. A systems approach would allow for a more directed
way of developing catalytic reaction sequences and one-pot multicomponent catalyst systems (5).
Asymmetric synthesis
Strategies in asymmetric synthesis is an area of ongoing interest, particularly in the production of pharmaceutical compounds.
In 2009, researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden reported
findings from their work in palladium-based asymmetric catalysis. The key finding was structural and mechanistic information
on Trost modular ligands (TMLs), which combine with palladium to form catalysts. TML-Pd catalysts are widely used in allylic
substitution reactions (8, 9). Their new model involved two regiochemically distinct (NH) and (CO) locations for nucleofuge
or nucleophile binding, which may have broad utility for understanding the selectivity in asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions
catalyzed by select palladium complexes and related ligands (8, 9).
Patricia Van Arnum is a senior editor at Pharmaceutical Technology, 485 Route One South, Bldg F, First Floor, Iselin, NJ 08830 tel. 732.346.3072, pvanarnum@advanstar.com
.
References
1. J. Wassenaar et al., Nat. Chem.
2 (5), 417–421 (2010).
2. S. Borman, Chem. & Eng. News
88 (14), 7 (2010).
3. S. Ritter, N. Becker, and T. Blair, Chem. & Eng. News
87 (51), 35–39 (2009).
4. S.L. Desset and D.J. Cole-Hamilton, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl.
48 (8), 1472–1474 (2009).
5. NRSC-Catalysis, Future Perspectives in Catalysis (Amsterdam), http://www.nrsc-catalysis.nl/files/media/scientific_reports/Future_perspectives_in_Catalysis.pdf, accessed Apr. 5, 2010.
6. D. Toste et al., Nat. Chem.
2 (1), 36–41 (2010).
7. M. Jacoby, Chem. & Eng. News
87 (49), 10 (2009).
8. S. Borman, Chem. & Eng. News
87 (24), 31–33 (2009).
9. G.C. Lloyd. J. Am. Chem. Soc ., 131 (8), 9945–9957 (2009).
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