Abstract
Ph.D. (Chemistry)
The thesis presented here is focussed on the methoxycarbonylation reaction. The reaction requires a catalyst (most of often palladium), a co-catalyst (typically Brønsted acids), ligand, methanol and carbon monoxide to afford esters that find use in both industrial and medical application. The focus given here in this thesis is specifically targeted to the co-catalyst.
When the Brønsted acid co-catalyst is changed, two variables in the reaction are altered, namely the acid strength and the weakly coordinating counter anion arising from the acid. The work presented in this thesis provides results for which only one variable is changed, that being the counter anion and as such the role of the counter anion could be determined...