Catalyst design for synthesis

CH-422

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Summary

Mid-term: Oct 17, 2025.

Final-exam: December 19, 2025.

Teaching assistant (by email): enora.lhostis@epfl.ch.


This course on homogeneous catalysis provides a detailed understanding of how these catalysts work at a mechanistic level and gives examples of catalyst design for important reactions (hydrogenation, olefin metathesis, cross-coupling).

Content:

  • Organometallic chemistry: revision of basic ideas including structure and bonding and the implications this has on reactivity of an organic ligand coordinated to a metal centre.
  • A description of the reactions involved in homogeneous catalysis, with an emphasis on the essential features required to predict which type of reactions can take place.
  • Olefin metathesis
  • Hydrogenation
  • Cross-coupling



Introduction

Basic organometallic chemistry

Olefin methasis

Hydrogenation

Cross coupling

Last year's exam