Abstract
Iron complexes are particularly interesting as catalyst systems over the other transition metals (including noble metals) due to iron’s high natural abundance and mediation in important biological processes, therefore making them non-toxic, cost-effective, and biocompatible. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis mediated by iron as a transition metal have found applications in many industries, including oxidation, C-C bond formation, hydrocarboxylation and dehydration, hydrogenation and reduction reactions of low molecular weight molecules. These processes provided substrates for industrial-scale use, e.g., switchable materials, sustainable and scalable energy storage technologies, drugs for the treatment of cancer, and high molecular weight polymer materials with a predetermined structure through controlled radical polymerization techniques. This review provides a detailed statement of the utilization of homogeneous and heterogeneous iron-based catalysts for the synthesis of both low and high molecular weight molecules with versatile use, focusing on receiving functional materials with high potential for industrial application.
Highlights
Environmental pollution and climate change make the introduction of “green chemistry” principles into industry one of the most urgent scientific challenges
Transition metals have become a fundamental catalyst in controlled radical polymerization represented by reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) methods, especially leading in the field-atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique
Maleic acid-based copolymers, known as an effective material for desalination of seawater, improved by modification with other monomers showed high scale inhibition efficiency. Another “green” ligand, namely sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) was used to prepare fluorinated amphiphilic copolymers via activator generated by electron transfer (AGET) ATRP with iron(III) chloride hexahydrate (FeIII Cl3 ·6H2 O) as a catalyst
Summary
Environmental pollution and climate change make the introduction of “green chemistry” principles into industry one of the most urgent scientific challenges. TPA is equivalent to the TPMA abbreviation Hydrogen peroxide is another type of “green” oxidizer for organic substrates oxidation with highly stereo- and regioselective bioinspired iron(II) catalysts containing N donor ligands. The anti-cancer activity of amine-pyridine-based iron complexes relies on different inter-dependent processes, involving intracellular Fe(II) chelation, generation of reactive oxygen species, DNA fragmentation through oxidative mechanisms, induction of cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis [48]. The most important uses of the above-described iron compounds in catalysis focused on various oxidation processes, whereas the major applications of the iron NHC and C-scorpionate complexes, alongside oxidation reactions, e.g., polymerization, C-C bond formation, hydrogenation and hydrocarboxylation reactions, are included as well
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
