|
The construction of organic molecules using organometallic catalysts often involves multielectron transfer processes to facilitate key bond-breaking or bond-forming steps. Controlling this multielectron behavior is therefore essential for achieving selective and efficient reactivity, a cornerstone of modern synthetic organic chemistry. Catalysts based on the earth-abundant, inexpensive first-row transition metals are particularly attractive for sustainability; however, these metals typically favor single-electron transfer pathways. By incorporating redox-active ligands into first-row metal complexes, we can unlock novel electrochemical behavior and enable new multielectron reactivity paradigms that are otherwise inaccessible.
Our group has developed a family of cobalt complexes supported by a redox-active ligand that are capable of multielectron transfer processes. We are leveraging this behavior to achieve new bond-forming reactions promoted by the unique metal-ligand cooperativity in these complexes. Specifically, we are investigating the catalytic construction of carbon-carbon and carbon-fluorine bonds, with relevance to pharmaceuticals and fine chemical synthesis. This project involves the synthesis and characterization of organometallic cobalt complexes, as well as the study of their reactivity with organic substrates to promote new transformations. Our goals include exploring the substrate scope of these reactions and improving their efficiency and selectivity. Students on this project will have the opportunity to learn organic and organometallic synthesis and various characterization techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, UV-vis and infrared absorption (UV-vis and FTIR) spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and electrochemistry.
|
Sign in
to view more information about this project.
