Peter Maitlis

Peter Michael Maitlis, FRS[1] (15 January 1933 – 18 May 2022) was a British organometallic chemist.[2]

Early life and education

Maitlis was born on 15 January 1933,[3] and educated at Hendon School (then Hendon County School) in north London 1944–50. He was awarded a Bachelor's degree in Science from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD (1956, studying under Professor Michael J. S. Dewar,[4] who helped to develop the Dewar–Chatt–Duncanson model for bonding in organometallic compounds) and a DSc (1970) from the University of London.[2]

Career

After completing his doctorate, Maitlis worked as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of London.[2] He undertook postdoctoral study at Cornell University as a Fulbright Fellow (1960–1961) and then as a research fellow at Harvard University (1961–1962)[3] under F. G. A. Stone.[5]

While working and teaching at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario (1962–1972), he rose from Assistant Professor to a full Professorship. Returning to the United Kingdom in 1972, Maitlis was a professor of chemistry at the University of Sheffield for 30 years until his appointment as an emeritus professor in 2002.[3]

In 1971, he published two volumes on the organic chemistry of palladium[6][7] which were "widely recognised as the most authoritative account of the organo-complexes of this metal".[8]

Maitlis was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1984.[9] The citation highlights his work on the platinum group metals palladium, rhodium and iridium.[8]

Achievements in organometallic chemistry

The hexafluorophosphate ion is generally considered inert and hence a suitable counterion in organometallic synthesis. However, Maitlis' work has demonstrated a solvolysis reaction of the hexafluorophosphate ion. The tris(solvent) rhodium complex [(η5-C5Me5)Rh(Me2CO)3](PF6)2 undergoes solvolysis when heated in acetone, forming a difluorophosphate-bridged complex [(η5-C5Me5)Rh(μ-OPF2O)3Rh(η5-C5Me5)]PF6.[10][11]

Heating [(η5-C5Me5)Rh(Me2CO)3](PF6)2 in acetone results in the formation of the complex [(η5-C5Me5)Rh(μ-OPF2O)3Rh(η5-C5Me5)]PF6

Hexamethyl Dewar benzene (C6Me6) undergoes an unusual rearrangement reaction with hydrohalic acids to form a pentamethylcyclopentadiene derivative,[12][13] and consequently can be used as a starting material for synthesising some pentamethylcyclopentadienyl organometallic compounds.[14][15]

Synthesis of the rhodium(III) dimer [Cp*RhCl2]2 from hexamethyl Dewar benzene
Synthesis of the rhodium(III) dimer [Cp*RhCl2]2 from hexamethyl Dewar benzene

Maitlis and colleagues demonstrated this synthesis and its applicability to the iridium analogue, [(η5-C5Me5)IrCl2]2.[16] His group also demonstrated a more convenient synthesis for the bright orange, air-stable diamagnetic iridium reagent using pentamethylcyclopentadiene.[17]

Isocyanides can serve as ligands in co-ordination chemistry as a result of the lone electron pair on carbon, and are especially useful with metals in the 0, +1, and +2 oxidation states. In particular, Maitlis has demonstrated that tert-butyl isocyanide can stabilise metals in unusual oxidation states, such as palladium(I) in the complex [(t-BuNC)2Pd(μ-Cl)]2.[18]

Metallomesogens

Metallomesogens are "metal complexes of organic ligands which exhibit liquid crystalline (mesomorphic) character [and thus they] combine the variety and range of metal-based coordination chemistry with the extraordinary physical properties exhibited by liquid crystals."[4] They have been a research interest of Maitlis' group since the mid-1980s, and in fact Maitlis jointly directed the early investigations of these systems in the UK and actually coined the term metallomesogen.[19]

Personal life

Maitlis was Jewish. He was the father of the journalist and newsreader Emily Maitlis.[20]

He died on 18 May 2022, at the age of 89.[21]

Most cited publications

The following list shows the top 10 most cited journal articles by Maitlis according to Web of Science data. The number of citations indicated is current as at 27 May 2022:

References

  1. ^ Crabtree, Robert H. (2023). "Peter M. Maitlis. 15 January 1933—18 May 2022". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 75. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2022.0048. S2CID 258189933.
  2. ^ a b c "Emeritus Prof Peter Maitlis FRS". Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Prof Peter Maitlis, FRS Authorised Biography". Debrett's People of Today. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  4. ^ a b Giroud-Godquin, A.-M.; Maitlis, P. M. (1991). "Metallomesogens – Metal-Complexes in Organized Fluid Phases". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 30 (4): 375–402. doi:10.1002/anie.199103751.
  5. ^ Stone, F. G. A. (1993). Leaving No Stone Unturned: Pathways in Organometallic Chemistry. Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-8412-1826-0.
  6. ^ Maitlis, P. M. (1971). The Organic Chemistry of Palladium, Volume 1. New York: Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-465802-8.
  7. ^ Maitlis, P. M. (1971). The Organic Chemistry of Palladium, Volume 2: Catalytic Reactions. New York: Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-465802-8.
  8. ^ a b "Certificates of Election and Candidature: Maitlis, Peter Michael". royalsociety.org. Royal Society. 1978. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  9. ^ "List of Fellows of the Royal Society, 1660 – 2007". royalsociety.org. Royal Society. p. 233. Retrieved 4 February 2011. Date of Election: 15/03/1984
  10. ^ Thompson, S. J.; Bailey, P. M.; White, C.; Maitlis, P. M. (1976). "Solvolysis of the Hexafluorophosphate Ion and the Structure of [Tris(μ-difluorophosphato)bis(penta-methylcyclopentadienylrhodium)] Hexafluorophosphate". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 15 (8): 490–491. doi:10.1002/anie.197604901.
  11. ^ White, C.; Thompson, S. J.; Maitlis, P. M. (1977). "Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-rhodium and -iridium Complexes XIV. The Solvolysis of Coordinated Acetone Solvent Species to Tris(μ-difluorophosphato)bis[η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienylrhodium(III)] Hexafluorophosphate, to the η5-(2,4-dimethyl-1-oxapenta-1,3-dienyl)(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)iridium Cation, or to the η5-(2-hydroxy-4-methylpentadienyl)(η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)iridium Cation". J. Organomet. Chem. 134 (3): 319–325. doi:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)93278-9.
  12. ^ Paquette, L. A.; Krow, G. R. (1968). "Electrophilic Additions to Hexamethyldewarbenzene". Tetrahedron Lett. 9 (17): 2139–2142. doi:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)89761-0.
  13. ^ Criegee, R.; Gruner, H. (1968). "Acid-catalyzed Rearrangements of Hexamethyl-prismane and Hexamethyl-Dewar-benzene". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 7 (6): 467–468. doi:10.1002/anie.196804672.
  14. ^ Kang, J. W.; Moseley, K.; Maitlis, P. M. (1968). "Mechanisms of Reactions of Dewar Hexamethylbenzene with Rhodium and Iridium Chlorides". Chem. Commun. (21): 1304–1305. doi:10.1039/C19680001304.
  15. ^ Kang, J. W.; Maitlis, P. M. (1968). "Conversion of Dewar Hexamethylbenzene to Pentamethylcyclopentadienylrhodium(III) Chloride". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 90 (12): 3259–3261. doi:10.1021/ja01014a063.
  16. ^ Kang, J. W.; Moseley, K.; Maitlis, P. M. (1969). "Pentamethylcyclopentadienylrhodium and -iridium Halides. I. Synthesis and Properties". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 91 (22): 5970–5977. doi:10.1021/ja01050a008.
  17. ^ White, C.; Yates, A.; Maitlis, P. M.; Heinekey, D. M. (2007). "(η 5 ‐Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)Rhodium and ‐Iridium Compounds". Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 29. pp. 228–234. doi:10.1002/9780470132609.ch53. ISBN 9780470132609. ((cite book)): |journal= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Rettig, M. F.; Maitlis, P. M.; Cotton, F. A.; Webb, T. R. (2007). "Tetrakis( tert ‐Butyl Isocyanide)Di‐μ‐Chlorodipalladium(I)". Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 28. pp. 110–113. doi:10.1002/9780470132593.ch29. ISBN 9780470132593. ((cite book)): |journal= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Liu, X.-H.; Abser, M. N.; Bruce, D. W. (1998). "Synthesis and Characterisation of Rod-Like Metallomesogens of Mn(I) based on Schiff Base Ligands". J. Organomet. Chem. 551 (1–2): 271–280. doi:10.1016/S0022-328X(97)00437-3. Serious UK effort in this area started in 1984 in Sheffield and DWB remembers several early conversations with Peter Maitlis on the subject. ... perhaps the most interesting and satisfying results, at least from a pure liquid crystal perspective, were obtained with their complexes to silver—another of Peter's initial suggestions. The subject of this paper relates to organometallic metallomesogens—a term coined by Peter—and is dedicated to him with much warmth and affection." (p. 271)
  20. ^ Ebner, Sarah (19 April 2017). "Emily Maitlis: Getting it right". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Maitlis, Peter". The Times. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
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