PART I: SELENOFUNCTIONAL & HALOFUNCTIONALISATION MEDIATED BY CHALCOGENIDE BASED CATALYSTS; PART II: METAL CATALYZED THIOCYANOFUNCTIONALIZATION OF ALKYNES

Abstract

This dissertation will comprise of two parts. Part one details on the use of chalcogen-based organocatalysts in halofunctionalization and selenofunctionalization of alkenes. In this part, the difficulties and rationale behind the design and synthesis of novel chalcogen-based organocatalysts are discussed. These catalysts are subsequently used in desymmetrization of diol based alkene substrates and their analogues. Part two will describe the use of metal catalysts, with emphasis on silver and gold salts in enabling thiocyanofunctionalization of alkynes. Whereas halofunctionalization have been extensively explored in the literature, there is scarce research work on its thiocyanate counterpart. This portion serves as an exploratory work on the use of metal catalysts in “planting” thiocyanides on alkynyl substrates.