Mechanisms of Activation and Oxygenation of Alkanes by Soluble Transition Metal Complexes

该奖项由无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目颁发，支持南加州大学化学系Thomas C. Flood对烷烃活化和功能化的基础研究。他们对了解烷烃与亲电金属中心的弱相互作用特别感兴趣。这些sigma络合烷烃中间体可能在催化的许多初级反应中起关键作用。Flood研究的一种催化转化是使用铑或锇催化剂将甲烷氧化为甲醇。一种柔性的三胺配体，如1,4,7-三氮杂环壬烷（tacn或Cn）配合物，稳定催化剂，在反应条件下不会分解。将烷烃有效地转化为醇是化学工业长期以来的目标。学生将学习这些潜在催化剂和催化剂前体的合成、表征和机理研究。

This award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Thomas C. Flood, Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, in fundamental studies of alkane activation and functionalization. They are particularly interested in understanding the weak interactions of alkanes with electrophilic metal centers. These sigma complexed alkane intermediates may play a key role in many primary reactions involved in catalysis. One catalytic transformation Flood is concentrating on is the oxidation of methane to methanol using a rhodium or osmium catalyst. A flexible triamine ligand such as 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (tacn or Cn) complexes and stabilizes the catalyst and will not decompose under the reaction conditions New catalysts and processes may be designed as a result of detailed understanding of the way alkanes interact with metal centers,. The efficient conversion of alkanes to alcohols is a longstanding goal of the chemical industry. Students will be trained in the synthesis, characterization and mechanistic studies of these potential catalysts and catalyst precursors.