New Chemical Feedstocks for Homogeneous Catalysis and Renewable Resources

9 New Chemical Feedstocks for Homogeneous Catalysis and Renewable Resources 

The selective and catalytic C-C and C-H bond cleavage of (unreactive, saturated) hydrocarbons, like ethane and methane, is still another Holy Grail in chemistry. It is obvious then, that the catalytic activation of such molecules under mild (e. g., nonphotolytic) conditions would revolutionize catalysis. This capability would contrast the classical high-temperature reforming processes of the petrochemical industry, which constitute the largest-scale industrial catalyses. No solution to the problem is available as yet. However, a number of recent approaches regarding C-H, C-C, and C-F bonds appear promising (cf. Sections 2.8, 3.1.6, or 3.3.6). 

Transfer of a C-H-activated methyl group after consecutive C-C bond cleavage as a methylene unit to other substrates is an interesting alternative. Starting from 

A challenging example of a paraffinic C-C bond metathesis is the recently discovered conversion of ethane into methane and propane under mild conditions 

A specific challenge remains for the metal-induced cleavage of the strongest bond that carbon can form, the C-F bond [57 f). The functionalization of polyfluorinated organic compounds - important building blocks of chemical, pharmaceutical, and advanced materials industries - would promise a diverse market for such a process. First success in this area is based on the stoichiometric reaction of eq. (9), 

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