Indirect Activation and Deactivation of Lewis Acids

Andrew R. Barron， William Marsh Rice大学化学系，由无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目支持，研究Lewis酸的协同相互作用。13族路易斯酸具有改变另一个路易斯酸位点的反应性的能力。最初的研究将集中在通过汞（II）卤化物络合激活芳烃进行氢/氘交换，以及如何通过添加13族刘易斯酸（如氯化铝）来改变这种反应性。路易斯酸改变了分子周围的电子云，从而改变了反应性。刘易斯酸催化在许多合成领域都很流行，包括商品化学制造、聚合物合成和制药生产。本研究考察了一个刘易斯酸位点的存在如何改变另一个刘易斯酸位点的性质。参与这项工作的学生将接受一些合成技术、表征工具和计算工具的培训，为他们未来的职业生涯做好准备。

Andrew R. Barron, Department of Chemistry, William Marsh Rice University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program for studies of cooperative Lewis acid interactions. Group 13 Lewis acids have the ability to alter the reactivity of of another Lewis acidic site. Initially the research will focus on the activation of arenes toward hydrogen/deuterium exchange through complexation of mercury(II) halides and how that reactivity is modified by the addition of a Group 13 Lewis acid such as aluminum chloride.Lewis acids change the electron cloud around molecules, thereby altering the reactivity. Lewis acid catalysis is prevalent in many synthetic fields, including commodity chemical manufacturing, polymer synthesis and pharmaceutical production. This study examines how the presence of one Lewis acid site can change the properties of another Lewis acid site. The students involved in this work will be trained in a number of synthetic techniques, characterization tools and computational tools that will prepare them for future careers.