Catalytic properties of transition metal coordination compounds for Green Chemistry

The aim of the research is to identify catalytic systems based on transition metal coordination compounds able to promote organic reactions according to green chemistry guidelines. Therefore, identified systems must meet the sustainability criteria from the point of view of both costs and environmental impact as regards reagents, reaction conditions, yield, selectivity, solvents and by-products. Lately, we have focused our research mainly on iron complexes which, when used as homogeneous-phase catalysts in oxidation reactions, do offer promising answers to the above requirements. .

A second line of research aims at the use of the compounds, as identified in point 1 above, to promote selective transformation reactions of glycerol. The latter compound is the main by-product in the production of biofuels; the transformation of glycerol into products with high added value would give a further boost towards the competitiveness of biofuels with respect to fossil fuels. The high multifunctionality of glycerol, together with its chemical-physical characteristics, offers a challenge to its selective transformation, which can be achieved thanks to the modularity of transition metal-based homogeneous phase catalysts.