Mechanisms of Chemical Reactions Involved in Catalysis by Organometallic Complexes in Solution

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In this research project within the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program, Jack R. Norton of Colorado State University will develop methods for determining the mechanisms of reactions of transition metal hydrides which are a common class of organometallic compounds. These hydridic compounds are important intermediates in many catalytic processes such as the OXO-process in which aldehydes and alcohols are made from olefins and also in the hydrogenation and isomerization of olefins. Specific projects include developing methods for measuring the acidity of the metal hydrides which are weak acids; measuring absolute rate constants for hydrogen atom transfer from a variety of transition metal hydrides to trityl radicals; determining the strengths of hydrogen-transition metal bonds; developing a stereospecific synthesis of alpha-amino acids from coordinated aldimines; and investigating the possible hydride transfer reaction from the metal hydride to protonated aldehydes and ketones.