SGER: Reactivity of Carbon Monoxide with Organoaluminum and Organogallium Reagents

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This Small Grant for Exploratory Research in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports Professor Mark Mason at the Univesity of Toledo to study an unusual reaction whereby ccarbon monoxide coordinates to aluminum and subsequently inserts into an organometallic bond. The goal is to determine the scope of reactivity of carbon monoxide with organoaluminum and organogallium reagents that feature three-coordinate metal centers. Building upon preliminary experimental results, this research seeks to determine how the coordination of carbon monoxide to aluminum and gallium and its subsequent insertion of carbon monoxide into Al-C and Ga-C bonds can modulated by the steric and electronic environment and the metal. The low coordination number is imposed by bulky alkyls, aryls, phenoxides, diamides, and di(3-methylindolyl)methanes. The project will also explore the reactivity of resulting acyl complexes with hydrogen and ethylene. This research seeks to provide less expensive catalysts that can incorporate a very inexpensive feedstock, carbon monoxide, into economically important organic compounds. In addition to learning about inorganic and organometallic synthesis, characterization, and reactivity, students will tour research and production facilities at American Synthetic Rubber Corporation, BP Chemicals, Sud-Chemie, and Zeon Chemicals to familiarize them with the diverse range of applications of catalysis and organoaluminum reagents in industry, and to educate them as to the job opportunities available in these areas.