In this study, Ms van der Westhuizen synthesized and characterized a range of Fischer alkoxyand

aminocarbene complexes, with (hetero)aryl carbene substituents; thienyl, furyl or

ferrocenyl. The redox behaviour of the complexes was studied by means of different

techniques, including cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemistry and computational methods.

Different transition metals (Group 6, Cr and W; and Group 7, Mn) were employed in the study

as the central metal atom in order to compare the effect of both the metal and the carbene

substituent on the electronic properties of the complexex. Extended ferrocenyl-containing

carbene substituents were used to investigate metal-metal interaction

spectroelectrochemically in the tungsten complexes. The unprecedented stability of the

carbene radical cation, generated during the oxidation of the manganese carbene complex, led

to the isolation of the radical cation which could be characterized with ESR and FT-IR

spectroscopy.

Transmetallation of the tungsten Fischer carbene complexes to Au(I) yielded rare examples of

acyclic alkoxy- and aminocarbene complexes of gold. Structural studies indicated the presence

of aurophilic interactions, which could be quantified by means of DFT calculations.

Date:

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Venue:

Merensky Library Research Commons, Level 4 Seminar room 1, UP Main Campus

Time:

15:00 – 16:00