Pérez-Bitrián Lab

Organometallic and Fluorine Chemistry
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

We are a young research group at the Institut für Chemie of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany). Our research projects are located in the field of preparative inorganic and organometallic chemistry, at the interface of main group and transition metal chemistry, always with a special component of fluorine chemistry.   


The synthesis of the first Xe compound by Bartlett in 1962 was a groundbreaking discovery that changed the paradigm of the inertness of noble gases. A key breakthrough in the history of noble gas compounds was the synthesis of the first compounds containing Xe–C bonds in 1989, [XeC6F5]+ salts. Since then, the field of organoxenon chemistry experienced a great development, making many different species available, which require the use of fluorinated ligands in most of the cases. Although their properties have been thoroughly investigated, their application in synthesis has been barely exploited.


The overall objective of the Pérez-Bitrián Lab is the investigation of the applicability of known and new organoxenon compounds as strong oxidizers for the synthesis of organometallic complexes in high oxidation states. This allows the coordination of the organic moiety to the metal center, which is oxidized at the same time. In this regard, our main target is the study of 3d metals, especially cobalt and nickel, not only because they are of increasing interest in many catalytic processes, but also because the stabilization of their higher oxidation states is more challenging than in their heavier homologues and therefore they have been far less studied. Additionally, such complexes are also relevant as intermediates in catalysis, which enables the investigation of their role in different cross-coupling processes. With this in mind, the incorporation of different fluorinated ligands will require the synthesis of new classes of organoxenon compounds and the study of their properties, which becomes our second main goal.


The use of Schlenk techniques is normally enough in our group, yet some of the xenon compounds and their precursors are extremely reactive and cannot be handled in glassware, but require specific self-built reactors consisting of PFA (perfluoroalkoxy alkanes). Standard spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques are used in the characterization of the compounds, such as multinuclear variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy, IR and Raman spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry or magnetic measurements. Additionally, quantum-chemical methods will accompany the experimental research. Students have the opportunity to acquire experience in different synthetic methodologies, as well as in a handful of characterization techniques.

23. Gold Trifluoromethyl Complexes as Efficient Regioselective Catalysts in Alkyne Hydration

D. Ruiz-Almoguera, D. Ventura-Espinosa, A. Pérez-Bitrián, A. Martín, J. A. Mata,* M. Baya*

Chem. Eur. J. 2024, 30, e202401753.


22. A Highly Sterically Encumbered Boron Lewis Acid Enabled by an Organotellurium-based Ligand

D. Wegener, A. Pérez-Bitrián, N. Limberg, A. Wiesner, K. F. Hoffmann, S. Riedel*

Chem. Eur. J. 2024, 30, e202401231.


21. Silver(I) Perfluoroalcoholates: Synthesis, Structure, and their Use as Transfer Reagents

P. Golz, K. Shakeri, L. Maas, M. Balizs, A. Pérez-Bitrián, H. D. Kemmler, M. Kleoff, P. Voßnacker, M. Christmann, S. Riedel*

Chem. Eur. J. 2024, 30, e202400861.


20. Questing for Homoleptic Mononuclear Manganese Complexes with Monodentate O-Donor Ligands

A. Pérez-Bitrián,* J. Munárriz,* K. B. Krause, J. Schlögl, K. F. Hoffmann, J. S. Sturm, A. N. Hadi, C. Teutloff, A. Wiesner, C. Limberg, S. Riedel*

Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 5564–5572.


19. [Xe(OTeF5)(pyF)]+: A Strong Oxidizing Xenonium(II) Teflate Cation with N-Donor Bases 

A. N. Toraman, L. Fischer, A. Pérez-Bitrián,* A. Wiesner, K. F. Hoffmann, S. Riedel*

Chem. Commun. 2024, 60, 1711–1714.


18. Further Perspectives on the Teflate versus Fluoride Analogy: The Case of a Co(II) Pentafluoroorthotellurate Complex

A. Pérez-Bitrián,* J. Munárriz, J. S. Sturm, D. Wegener, K. B. Krause, A. Wiesner, C. Limberg, S. Riedel*

Inorg. Chem. 2023, 62, 12947–12953.


17. Reactivity of [AuF3(SIMes)] – Pathway to Unprecedented Structural Motifs

M. Winter, M. A. Ellwanger, N. Limberg, A. Pérez-Bitrián, P. Voßnacker, S. Steinhauer, S. Riedel*

Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202301684.


16. On the effect of gender on secondary school students’ causal attributions to choose or abandon physics & chemistry

D. Ardura,* Á. Zamora, A. Pérez-Bitrián

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2023, 24, 1174–1189.


15. Gold Teflates Revisited: from the Lewis Superacid [Au(OTeF5)3] to the Anion [Au(OTeF5)4]

M. Winter, N. Peshkur, M. A. Ellwanger, A. Pérez-Bitrián, P. Voßnacker, S. Steinhauer, S. Riedel*

Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202203634.


14. Terminal Au–N and Au–O Units in Organometallic Frames

A. Pérez-Bitrián, S. Alvarez,* M. Baya, J. Echeverría, A. Martín, J. Orduna, B. Menjón*

Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202203181.


13. Air-stable aryl derivatives of pentafluoroorthotellurate

D. Wegener, K. F. Hoffmann, A. Pérez-Bitrián, I. Bayindir, A. N. Hadi, A. Wiesner, S. Riedel* 

Chem. Commun. 2022, 58, 9694–9697.


12. Unravelling the Role of the Pentafluoroorthotellurate Group as a Ligand in Nickel Chemistry

A. Pérez-Bitrián, K. F. Hoffmann, K. B. Krause, G. Thiele, C. Limberg, S. Riedel* 

Chem. Eur. J. 2022, 28, e202202016 (HOT PAPER).


11. Hydrogen bonding to metals as a probe for an inverted ligand field

A. Pérez-Bitrián, M. Baya, J. M. Casas, A. Martín, B. Menjón* 

Dalton Trans. 2021, 50, 5465–5472.


10. The role of motivation on secondary school students’ causal attributions to choose or abandon chemistry

D. Ardura,* Á. Zamora, A. Pérez-Bitrián

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2021, 22, 43–61.


9. Trifluoromethylation of [AuF3(SIMes)]: Preparation and Characterization of [Au(CF3)xF3x(SIMes)] (x=1–3) Complexes

M. Winter, N. Limberg, M. A. Ellwanger, A. Pérez-Bitrián, K. Sonnenberg, S. Steinhauer, S. Riedel*

Chem. Eur. J. 2020, 26, 16089–16097 (HOT PAPER).


8. C−N Cross-Couplings for Site-Selective Late-Stage Diversification via Aryl Sulfonium Salts

P. S. Engl, A. P. Häring, F. Berger, G. Berger, A. Pérez-Bitrián, T. Ritter*

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 13346–13351.


7. Motivational pathways towards academic achievement in physics & chemistry: a comparison between students who opt out and those who persist

D. Ardura,* A. Pérez-Bitrián

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2019, 20, 618–632.


6. The effect of motivation on the choice of chemistry in secondary schools: adaptation and validation of the Science Motivation Questionnaire II to Spanish students

D. Ardura,* A. Pérez-Bitrián

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2018, 19, 905–918.


5. An Organogold(III) Difluoride with trans Arrangement

A. Pérez-Bitrián, M. Baya, J. M. Casas, A. Martín, B. Menjón,* J. Orduna

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 6517–6521.


4. Gold(II) Trihalide Complexes from Organogold(III) Precursors

M. Baya, A. Pérez-Bitrián, S. Martínez-Salvador, A. Martín, J. M. Casas, B. Menjón,* J. Orduna

Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 1514–1517 (HOT PAPER).


3. (CF3)3Au as a Highly Acidic Organogold(III) Fragment

A. Pérez-Bitrián, M. Baya, J. M. Casas, L. R. Falvello, A. Martín, B. Menjón*

Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 14918–14930 (HOT PAPER).


2. Anionic Derivatives of Perfluorinated Trimethylgold

A. Pérez-Bitrián, S. Martínez-Salvador, M. Baya, J. M. Casas, A. Martín, B. Menjón,* J. Orduna

Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 6919–6929.


1. Gold(I) Fluorohalides: Theory and Experiment

M. Baya, A. Pérez-Bitrián, S. Martínez-Salvador, J. M. Casas, B. Menjón,* J. Orduna

Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 1512–1515.

Dr. Alberto Pérez-Bitrián

Junior Group Leader

E-mail: alberto.perez-bitrian@hu-berlin.de

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Pablo Cortés Soláns

PhD Student

E-mail: pablo.cortes.solans@hu-berlin.de

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Michael Lee

Research Internship Student

Moritz Bubenik

Research Internship Student

Paulin Riemann

Research Internship Student

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Vacancies

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Our values

Moritz joins the group for a research internship

15/07/2024

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Paulin joins the group for a research internship

10/04/2024

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New motifs in Mn−O chemistry just published in Chemical Science

05/03/2024

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Pablo joins the group as the first PhD student

01/02/2024

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Our first paper on Xe chemistry just accepted in ChemComm

13/12/2023

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The first cobalt teflate complex published in Inorganic Chemistry

28/07/2023

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FUNDED PhD POSITION OPEN!

20/07/2023

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WE ARE ONLINE!

20/06/2023

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Pérez-Bitrián Lab

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Institut für Chemie Brook-Taylor-Straße 2 12489 Berlin Room 0’130 E-Mail: alberto.perez-bitrian@hu-berlin.de Twitter: @AlbertPebi Tel.: 030/2093-8387