In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a catalyst composition comprising: a) a reaction solvent or a reaction medium; b) organometallic nanoparticles comprising: i) a nanoparticle (NP) catalyst, prepared by a reduction of an iron salt in an organic solvent, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Rh, Ir, Ru and Os or mixtures thereof; c) a ligand; and d) a surfactant; wherein the metal or mixtures thereof is present in less than or equal to 50,000 ppm relative to the iron salt.

An object of the present invention is to enable the synthesis of various fluorine-containing compounds having an organic group at both terminals of their tetrafluoroethylene structure (—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2—). The present invention provides a fluorine-containing complex compound including a fluorine-containing organic metal compound represented by formula (1a):
R.sup.1—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2-M.sup.1  (1a)
wherein M.sup.1 is a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, nickel, iron, cobalt, and tin; and R.sup.1 represents an organic group, and at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of pyridine ring-containing compounds and phosphines.

An object of the present invention is to enable the synthesis of various fluorine-containing compounds having an organic group at both terminals of their tetrafluoroethylene structure (—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2—). The present invention provides a fluorine-containing complex compound including a fluorine-containing organic metal compound represented by formula (1a):
R.sup.1—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2-M.sup.1  (1a)
wherein M.sup.1 is a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, nickel, iron, cobalt, and tin; and R.sup.1 represents an organic group, and at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of pyridine ring-containing compounds and phosphines.

The invention provides compounds of general structure I: (Ar.sup.1—Ar.sup.2—Ar.sup.3-E-P(=D)R.sub.2-).sub.nM.sub.mX.sub.nL.sub.n″. In this structure: •Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are aromatic groups wherein: —Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.3 are in a 1,3 relationship on Ar.sup.2, —each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 optionally comprises one or more ring substituents of formula YR′.sub.r wherein each Y independently is absent or is O, S, B, N or Si and each R′ is independently H, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl and r is 1, 2 or 3, where r is 1 if Y is absent or is O or S, 2 if Y is B or N and 3 if Y is Si, —Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are each independently carbocyclic or heterocyclic and each is independently monocyclic, bicyclic or polycyclic and each ring of each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 independently has 5, 6 or 7 ring atoms; •E is absent or is selected from the group consisting of O, S, NR″, SiR″.sub.2, AsR″.sub.2 and CR″.sub.2; •M is a complexing metal; •X is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Br, CI, I, OTf, dba (dibenzylidene acetone), OC(═O)CF.sub.3 and OAc; •L is selected from the group consisting of PR″.sub.2, NR″.sub.2, OR″, SR″, SiR″.sub.3, AsR″.sub.3, alkene, alkyne, aryl and heteroaryl, each of said alkene, alkyne, aryl and heteroaryl being optionally substituted, for example with one or more halogens and/or with one or more R groups as defined herein; •each R is independently alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or -, heteroaryl; •D is absent or is ═S or —O or —Z-linker-Z—, where each Z independently is O or NH or N-alkyl and linker is an alkyl chain of 2-5 carbon atoms in length; •each R″ is independently H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl, each other than H being optionally substituted, or R″.sub.2 is —Z-linker-Z— as defined above; and •m is 0 or 1 or 2; wherein if m is 0, n is 1, n′ and n″ are 0 and -- is absent; and if m is 1 or 2, n is 1 or 2 and n′ and n″ are integers such that the coordination sphere of M is filled, and D is absent.

The invention provides compounds of general structure I: (Ar.sup.1—Ar.sup.2—Ar.sup.3-E-P(=D)R.sub.2-).sub.nM.sub.mX.sub.nL.sub.n″. In this structure: •Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are aromatic groups wherein: —Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.3 are in a 1,3 relationship on Ar.sup.2, —each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 optionally comprises one or more ring substituents of formula YR′.sub.r wherein each Y independently is absent or is O, S, B, N or Si and each R′ is independently H, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl and r is 1, 2 or 3, where r is 1 if Y is absent or is O or S, 2 if Y is B or N and 3 if Y is Si, —Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are each independently carbocyclic or heterocyclic and each is independently monocyclic, bicyclic or polycyclic and each ring of each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 independently has 5, 6 or 7 ring atoms; •E is absent or is selected from the group consisting of O, S, NR″, SiR″.sub.2, AsR″.sub.2 and CR″.sub.2; •M is a complexing metal; •X is selected from the group consisting of H, F, Br, CI, I, OTf, dba (dibenzylidene acetone), OC(═O)CF.sub.3 and OAc; •L is selected from the group consisting of PR″.sub.2, NR″.sub.2, OR″, SR″, SiR″.sub.3, AsR″.sub.3, alkene, alkyne, aryl and heteroaryl, each of said alkene, alkyne, aryl and heteroaryl being optionally substituted, for example with one or more halogens and/or with one or more R groups as defined herein; •each R is independently alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or -, heteroaryl; •D is absent or is ═S or —O or —Z-linker-Z—, where each Z independently is O or NH or N-alkyl and linker is an alkyl chain of 2-5 carbon atoms in length; •each R″ is independently H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl, each other than H being optionally substituted, or R″.sub.2 is —Z-linker-Z— as defined above; and •m is 0 or 1 or 2; wherein if m is 0, n is 1, n′ and n″ are 0 and -- is absent; and if m is 1 or 2, n is 1 or 2 and n′ and n″ are integers such that the coordination sphere of M is filled, and D is absent.

An object of the present invention is to enable the synthesis of various fluorine-containing compounds having an organic group at both terminals of their tetrafluoroethylene structure (—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2—). The present invention provides a fluorine-containing complex compound including a fluorine-containing organic metal compound represented by formula (1a):
R.sup.1—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2-M.sup.1  (1a)
wherein M.sup.1 is a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, nickel, iron, cobalt, and tin; and R.sup.1 represents an organic group, and at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of pyridine ring-containing compounds and phosphines.

An object of the present invention is to enable the synthesis of various fluorine-containing compounds having an organic group at both terminals of their tetrafluoroethylene structure (—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2—). The present invention provides a fluorine-containing complex compound including a fluorine-containing organic metal compound represented by formula (1a):
R.sup.1—CF.sub.2—CF.sub.2-M.sup.1  (1a)
wherein M.sup.1 is a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, nickel, iron, cobalt, and tin; and R.sup.1 represents an organic group, and at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of pyridine ring-containing compounds and phosphines.

The subject invention pertains to a method of halogenating phenols, yielding a range of halogenated phenols with enantiomeric ratio of up to 99.5:0.5. In certain embodiments, the subject invention pertains to a method of asymmetric halogenation of bisphenol, yielding a range of chiral bisphenol ligands. The novel chiral bisphenols are potent privileged catalyst cores that can be applied to the preparation of ligands for various catalytic asymmetric reactions. The catalyst library can easily be accessed because late-stage modification of the scaffold can readily be executed through cross-coupling of the halogen handles on the bisphenols.

The subject invention pertains to a method of halogenating phenols, yielding a range of halogenated phenols with enantiomeric ratio of up to 99.5:0.5. In certain embodiments, the subject invention pertains to a method of asymmetric halogenation of bisphenol, yielding a range of chiral bisphenol ligands. The novel chiral bisphenols are potent privileged catalyst cores that can be applied to the preparation of ligands for various catalytic asymmetric reactions. The catalyst library can easily be accessed because late-stage modification of the scaffold can readily be executed through cross-coupling of the halogen handles on the bisphenols.