Thomas Müller

Bio: Thomas Müller is an academic researcher from Ruhr University Bochum. The author has contributed to research in topics: Catalysis & Parkinson's disease. The author has an hindex of 58, co-authored 360 publications receiving 18967 citations. Previous affiliations of Thomas Müller include Bayer & Bayer MaterialScience.

Hydroamination: direct addition of amines to alkenes and alkynes.

Abstract: 8.4.5. Nitromercuration Reactions 3878 9. Hydroamination of Alkenes and Alkynes under Microwave Irradiation 3878 * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: +49 241 8

Sustainable Conversion of Carbon Dioxide: An Integrated Review of Catalysis and Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract: CO2 conversion covers a wide range of possible application areas from fuels to bulk and commodity chemicals and even to specialty products with biological activity such as pharmaceuticals. In the present review, we discuss selected examples in these areas in a combined analysis of the state-of-the-art of synthetic methodologies and processes with their life cycle assessment. Thereby, we attempted to assess the potential to reduce the environmental footprint in these application fields relative to the current petrochemical value chain. This analysis and discussion differs significantly from a viewpoint on CO2 utilization as a measure for global CO2 mitigation. Whereas the latter focuses on reducing the end-of-pipe problem “CO2 emissions” from todays’ industries, the approach taken here tries to identify opportunities by exploiting a novel feedstock that avoids the utilization of fossil resource in transition toward more sustainable future production. Thus, the motivation to develop CO2-based chemistry does...

Metal-Initiated Amination of Alkenes and Alkynes.

Abstract: The catalytic production of organic molecules is one of the most important applications of organometallic chemistry. For this purpose the distinct reaction chemistry of organic ligands covalently bound to transition metals is exploited. Most organometallic chemistry has focused on the formation of carboncarbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. The platinum group metals, in particular Pd and Rh, have been the most commonly used elements insfrequently commercializedscatalytic processes that include hydrogenation, hydroformylation and others. On the other hand, carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds are found in the majority of organic molecules and are of particular importance in physiologically active substances. However, catalytic organometallic reactions that lead to the formation of carbonheteroatom bonds are less common.1,2 The catalytic construction of carbon-nitrogen bonds in amines is particularly rare.3-10 Clearly, efficient catalytic routes to nitrogen based molecules are of great interest.11 Especially useful are catalytic hydroaminations of olefins and alkynes which avoid production of byproducts, like salts, generally observed in metal-catalyzed aminations of C-X derivatives (X ) e.g., halogen). However, known aminations of olefins often require stoichiometric use of transition metals and general methods for carrying out aminations catalytically are not yet available.12,13 Most of the present enantioselective syntheses of molecules bearing an amine functionality use classical stoichiometric reactions with chiral auxiliaries or utilize enantiomerically pure starting material.14-16 Hydroamination of alkenes and alkynes, which constitutes the formal addition of a N-H bond across a carbon-carbon multiple bond (Scheme 1), is a transformation of seemingly fundamental simplicity and would appear to offer the most attractive route to numerous classes of organo-nitrogen molecules such as alkylated amines, enamines or imines. Organic chemists have developed various synthetic approaches for the amination of olefins.17-19 Direct addition of nucleophiles H-NR2 to activated alkenes is of general importance for the synthesis of compounds with nitrogen atoms â to groups such as keto, ester, nitrile, sulfoxide, or nitro.13,20-23 These additions usually lead to the anti-Markovnikov products. On the other hand aliphatic olefins as well as most aromatic olefins are often aminated to give the Markovnikov product. One possibility to reverse the reactivity of aliphatic olefins is the use of electrophilic nitrogen radicals which have been used to obtain anti-Markovnikov products.24 In the past much work has been done on the activation of alkenes with stoichiometric amounts of metal.24 Reactions are mostly promoted by complexes of titanium,25 iron,26 zirconium,27 palladium28-31 and mercury.32,33 However, catalytic additions of amines H-NR2 to nonactivated double or triple bonds are still rare. Two basic approaches have been employed to catalytically effect aminations and involve either alkene/alkyne or amine activation routes (Scheme 2).34,140 Alkene activation is generally accomplished with late-transition-metal catalysts, which render coordinated olefins more susceptible to attack by † Dedicated to Dipl. Chem. Martin Eichberger (deceased 11/20/ 1997). 675 Chem. Rev. 1998, 98, 675−703

Worldwide innovations in the development of carbon capture technologies and the utilization of CO2

Abstract: While Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies are being developed with the focus of capturing and storing CO2 in huge quantities, new methods for the chemical exploitation of carbon dioxide (CCU) are being developed in parallel. The intensified chemical or physical utilization of CO2 is targeted at generating value from a limited part of the CO2 stream and developing better and more efficient chemical processes with reduced CO2 footprint. Here, we compare the status of the three main lines of CCS technologies with respect to efficiency, energy consumption, and technical feasibility as well as the implications of CCS on the efficiency and structure of the energy supply chain.

The role of pattern-recognition receptors in innate immunity: update on Toll-like receptors

Abstract: The discovery of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) as components that recognize conserved structures in pathogens has greatly advanced understanding of how the body senses pathogen invasion, triggers innate immune responses and primes antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Although TLRs are critical for host defense, it has become apparent that loss of negative regulation of TLR signaling, as well as recognition of self molecules by TLRs, are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, it is now clear that the interaction between TLRs and recently identified cytosolic innate immune sensors is crucial for mounting effective immune responses. Here we describe the recent advances that have been made by research into the role of TLR biology in host defense and disease.

The Ubiquitin-Proteasome Proteolytic Pathway: Destruction for the Sake of Construction

Abstract: Between the 1960s and 1980s, most life scientists focused their attention on studies of nucleic acids and the translation of the coded information. Protein degradation was a neglected area, conside...

Chronic systemic pesticide exposure reproduces features of Parkinson's disease

Abstract: The cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown, but epidemiological studies suggest an association with pesticides and other environmental toxins, and biochemical studies implicate a systemic defect in mitochondrial complex I. We report that chronic, systemic inhibition of complex I by the lipophilic pesticide, rotenone, causes highly selective nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration that is associated behaviorally with hypokinesia and rigidity. Nigral neurons in rotenone-treated rats accumulate fibrillar cytoplasmic inclusions that contain ubiquitin and alpha-synuclein. These results indicate that chronic exposure to a common pesticide can reproduce the anatomical, neurochemical, behavioral and neuropathological features of PD.