| Ligand K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an analytical tool that can be utilized in order to determine how electrons are shared between atoms. While the technique can be difficult to follow, the information that is collected from XAS is not. The whole idea behind XAS is that synchrotron generated X-rays are absorbed by the compound being analyzed and based upon the energy of the X-ray being absorbed, the amount of electron sharing that is occurring between atoms can be quantified.;Currently, not all atoms can be examined via XAS, however, one of the more recent elements being analyzed by this method is phosphorus. Compounds containing phosphorus have proven to be successful as catalysts in many different pharmaceutical and organic reactions. It is for this reason that there has been particular focus on metal-phosphorus compounds, such as palladium-phosphorus compounds. While the different types of palladium-phosphorus compounds can be used as catalysts in different reactions, the main focus is to synthesize these different palladium-phosphorus catalysts in order to determine which catalyst will work best for certain reactions.;When using phosphorus-based catalysts, the rules established by Chadwick Tolman in the late 1970's are called upon. The rules are based upon the stereochemistry of the phosphorus group and how that group shares electrons. By understanding the rules, there can be a better understanding of how catalysts will behave.;It is for this reason that the focus of this research was to synthesize eight different palladium-phosphorus complexes so that they could be analyzed by the XAS method. Previously, none of these compounds have been studied by XAS. By doing so, it can be understood how these molecules act as catalysts. |
