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Cationic Ruthenium Complexes In Catalysis: The Activation Of Propargylic Alcohols Through Electronically Tuned Complexes, Matthew James Stark

Dissertations

With increasing complexity of metal complexes, it is of worthwhile interest to pursue systematic examinations of ligand modifications to study their impact on the reactivity of a catalyst. To that end, this study aimed to understand the effect electron-withdrawing ligands conveyed to catalytic activity in the etherification of propargylic alcohols and related reactions. A number of half-sandwich ruthenium complexes bearing ligands with varying electron–withdrawing properties were synthesized and structurally characterized. Their electronic and structural properties were investigated utilizing X-ray crystallography, revealing that the series of complexes did not vary significantly in structure. The complexes were studied electronically with cyclic voltammetry, …