Fritz E. Kühn
Molecular Catalysis
Research of the Kühn group is focused on organometallic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and molecular catalysis. Especially carbene ligated metal precursors are applied to provide task-specific solutions in medicinal chemistry and catalysis. Varying the wing-tips and backbone of imidazolium moieties facilitates changes in solubility (medicinal chemistry) and reactivity (catalysis). Of particular interest are oxidation and hydrogenation catalysis with a wide variety of transition metals, both with respect to the elucidation of reaction mechanisms and for industrial applications. Therefore, cooperation with industrial companies on applied projects in the field of catalytic activation of small molecules plays an important role.
Key publications:
Mixed tetradentate NHC/1,2,3-triazole iron complexes bearing cis labile coordination sites as highly active catalysts in Lewis and Brønsted acid mediated olefin epoxidation, J. F. Schlagintweit, F. Dyckhoff, L. Nguyen, C. H. G. Jakob, R. M. Reich, F. E. Kühn, J. Catal. 2020, 383, 144–152.
Highly Efficient Abnormal NHC Ruthenium Catalyst for Oppenauer-Type Oxidation and Transfer Hydrogenation Reactions, L. Pardatscher, B. J. Hofmann, P. J. Fischer, S. M. Hölzl, R. M. Reich, F. E. Kühn, W. Baratta, ACS Catal. 2019, 9, 11302−11306.
Reactivity of Re2O7 in aromatic solvents – Cleavage of a β-O-4 lignin model substrate by Lewis-acidic rhenium oxide nanoparticles, B. J. Hofmann, R. G. Harms, S. P. Schwaminger, R. M. Reich, F. E. Kühn, J. Catal. 2019, 373, 190–200.
Mechanistic insights into the biomimetic catalytic hydroxylation of arenes by a molecular Fe(NHC) complex, A. C. Lindhorst, M. Drees, W. Bonrath, J. Schütz, T. Netscher, F. E. Kühn, J. Catal. 2017, 352C, 599–605.
Tandem Suzuki–Miyaura/transfer hydrogenation reaction catalyzed by a Pd–Ru complex bearing an anionic dicarbene, M. J. Bitzer, F. E. Kühn, W. Baratta, J. Catal. 2016, 338, 222–226.