Research at the
de Ruiter Laboratory
Earth-abundant metal catalysis — three interconnected research themes driving sustainable molecular science.
New Catalyst Development
Catalysis has been one of the main driving forces of innovation since the beginning of modern science. More than 80% of all products on the market have at least one manufacturing step that involves a catalyst. Since 2014, these catalysts generated more than 900 billion USD in annual revenue, while the catalyst market alone is expected to grow to 33 billion USD — making catalysis the #1 value generator in the chemical industry.
Unfortunately, many of these catalysts are still based on precious metals such as palladium, rhodium, and iridium, which are expensive, toxic, and harmful to the environment. In our laboratory we develop new catalysts based on environmentally friendly earth-abundant metals. To control their reactivity we have developed a new ligand platform that regulates the electronic needs of the catalyst, leading to better productivity and selectivity.
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Sustainable Bond Activation
The way we perform molecular transformations is undergoing a true renaissance. With the increase in molecular complexity comes a demand for increasingly sophisticated catalysts that produce zero waste and yet provide the desired product in high yield and selectivity.
It is our mission to drive sustainable catalysis through bespoke ligand design. To this end we have developed a new PC(NHC)P pincer ligand platform containing a central carbene donor atom. The unique electronic properties of this strong-field ligand have enabled unique reactivity with iron in both the activation and isomerization of strong bonds. Current efforts focus on aryl–aryl cross-coupling, alkene isomerization & functionalization, acceptorless dehydrogenation, and small molecule activation.
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Metallaaromaticity
Metallaaromaticity redefines one of chemistry’s most fundamental concepts by showing that aromatic behavior is not limited to organic molecules, but can also emerge in systems where metals actively participate in electron delocalization. In our research, we demonstrate that first-row transition metals such as iron and cobalt can sustain robust, global metal–ligand π-delocalization within carefully designed macrocyclic frameworks.
Remarkably, this aromatic character persists across different electronic states — including open-shell systems — revealing that aromaticity is governed by connectivity and delocalization pathways rather than rigid electron-counting rules. These findings open an exciting frontier in molecular design, with potential applications in catalysis, materials science, and beyond.
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