Chiral Chromium Salen@rGO as Multipurpose and Recyclable Heterogeneous Catalyst

Chemistry. 2021 Jun 25;27(36):9454-9460. doi: 10.1002/chem.202101003. Epub 2021 May 17.

Abstract

The first immobilization of a pyrene-tagged chromium salen complex through π-π noncovalent interactions on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is described. A very robust supported catalytic system is obtained to promote asymmetric catalysis in repeated cycles, without loss of activity or enantioselectivity. This specific behavior was demonstrated in two different catalytic reactions (up to ten reuses) promoted by chromium salen complexes, the cyclohexene oxide ring-opening reaction and the hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition between various aldehydes and Danishefsky's diene. Furthermore, the chiral chromium salen@rGO has been found to be compatible with a multi-substrate type use, in which the structure of the substrate involved is modified each time the catalyst is reused.

Keywords: Cr-salen complexes; asymmetric catalysis; recycling; reduced graphene oxide; supported catalysts.