Using Time-Resolved Infra-Red Spectroscopy to Probe Transition Metal-Catalysed Reactions

Using Time-Resolved Infra-Red Spectroscopy to Probe Transition Metal-Catalysed Reactions

An understanding of the mechanistic processes that underpin transition metal-catalysed reactions allows for the design of new catalysts and optimisation of reaction conditions with enhanced performance. A range of methods have been used to study reaction mechanism, however, the direction observation of bond cleaving and forming events underpinning a catalytic reaction is fraught with difficulty as the complexes that facilitate these steps are often present at low concentrations and are short lived. We have development a method, based on time-resolved infra-read spectroscopy on a ps-ms timescale, which employs a thermally inert, but photochemically activated, manganese carbonyl precatalyst to circumvent these problems. Irradiation simulates entry into the catalytic cycle and unique insight into key ligand coordination, bond formation and cleavage events can be directly obtained and quantified.