F&F industry implements a wide variety of fascinating chemical transformations towards the manufacture of prestigious iconic ingredients such as Ambrox^® Super, Hedione^®, Damascone Delta, Muscenone^®, Dartanol^®…

Over the past decades, scientists at Firmenich have focused their efforts on continuously improving these chemical transformations in order to make them safer, cleaner, more efficient and consequently more cost effective, through the implementation of green Chemistry principles, more specifically the principle 9 concerning catalysis [1] [2].

Among the F&F companies, Firmenich has always been a pioneer in developing innovative catalytic technologies, often relying on in-house manufactured sophisticated catalysts. Even though the technological edge was clearly demonstrated in the field of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenations towards the reduction of almost all types of functionalities [3], this presentation will provide a rare insight into the industrial application of highly atom economic Carbon-Carbon bond forming reaction such as Aldol, Michael condensations or C allylation.

Albeit well documented in the traditional literature, these C-C coupling reactions are often particularly unsuitable towards industrialization, due to unreactive substrates, use of large amounts of strong base (alkyl magnesium or metal amides) or use of protective groups and high dilution in toxic solvents. The talk will outline how going industrial in these challenging coupling reactions has resulted in the development of effective catalytic methodologies, now used on multi tons processes at industrial scale.  Interestingly, these catalytic methodologies do not require the use of expensive precious metals, but are essentially based on the use of the widely available nonprecious metals of the periodic table such as Titanium, Zirconium, Iron, Nickel, Copper…

[1] P.T. Anastas, J.C. Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, 1998, 30
[2] H. Ustundag George, G. Oddon, Firmenich EcoScent Compass, Swiss Green and Sustainable Chemistry, ILMAC 2019
[3] - L. Saudan, P. Dupau, J.-J. Riedhauser, P. Wyss, 2006, WO2006106483 to Firmenich SA
   - P. Dupau, L. Bonomo, L. Kermorvan, M. Haldimann Sanchez, 2019, WO2019175158 to Firmenich SA