Current Research

 

1. Heteroleptic diorganyl zinc as well as triorganyl zincate compounds: Heteroleptic zincates are often utilized in the organic syntheses due to their high reactivity. Depending on the solvents, the substituents and the counter cations solvent-separated and/or contact ion pairs are observed. These structures determine the reactivity of the zincates.

2. 1,1’-Dipentelaalkaline earth metallocenes and -stannocenes: Zirconocenacyclopentadienes serve as synthons for the synthesis of very reactive phospholes, arsoles, stiboles, and bismoles. Their reduction with alkaline earth metals allows the isolation of 1,1’-dipentelaalkaline earth metallocenes. The metathesis reaction with SnCl2 yields the corresponding stannocenes.

3. Alkaline earth metal trialkylsilylphosphanediides and their homologous compounds: These compounds crystallize tetrameric or hexameric with central M4P4 heterocubane moieties or hexagonal M6P6 prisms (M = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). Derivatization via addition of Lewis bases and acids as well as metathesis reactions leads to novel compounds with hitherto unknown M2nP2m cages.

4. Metalorganic compounds of the heavier alkaline earth metals: Although the Grignard reagents have been known for a century and have ascertained numerous applications, the synthesis of the metal-carbon bond of calcium, strontium and barium is extremely difficult. The reaction of trialkylalanes with alkaline earth metal bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amides] leads to the transfer of an alkyl group and the formation of alkaline earth metal alanates. Difficulties result from the insolubility, the air sensitivity, the low reactivity of the precursors and the tendency to ether cleavage reactions.

5. Bis(trialkylsilyl)phosphanides of yttrium: The Y-P bond is extremely reactive and kinetically labile. Therefore, the synthesis of bis(trialkylsilyl)phosphanides of yttrium have to be performed with the strict exclusion of ethers and halide anions to avoid ether cleavage reactions and yttriate formations.

6. Cooperative effects at homobimetallic magnesium and zinc containing compounds: Novel tetradentate azaligands enable the coordination of two metal centers with very close contact. An example for the reactivity of these complexes and cooperative effects of the metal centers is the intramolecular C-N bond actvation.

 

Awards

1999 teaching excellence award from the State of Bavaria

 

Memberships

Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh)

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Muenchner Chemische Gesellschaft

 

Financial Support

Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, Frankfurt/Main

Stiftung Stipendien-Fonds des Verbandes der Chemischen Industrie e.V.

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn

 


Responsible for this website: Thomas Rotter