Elucidating the Roles of Structurally Directed Electron Induction and Transannulation in Polycyclic Lewis Base and Lewis Acid Catalysis

无机化学、生物无机化学和金属有机化学项目的这一奖项支持爱荷华州艾姆斯州立大学的约翰·G·韦尔卡德教授的研究。这一提议的学术价值在于他目前正在为工业上重要的反应开发两种新型的强大催化剂。这些催化剂类型是基于新的有机磷和他正在合成的新的有机铝化合物。这些催化剂分子的结构被设计成结合了一种新的电子特征，从而增强了它们的催化活性。催化剂分子还被设计成以强烈的化学键连接到特殊的固体载体上。这种固载催化剂可以在间歇或流动反应器中多次回收。该奖项支持的工作的广泛影响是，在经济和环境考虑方面，重要有机反应的方法将通过更高的催化剂活性(导致所需催化剂数量更少)、催化剂中不存在重金属(有毒)以及在能源密集度较低的条件下获得更高的产品产量来改进。该奖项的第二个影响是，本科生、研究生和博士后学生以及客座教授将继续在这一学术和工业重要领域接受教育和培训。

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports investigations by Professor John G. Verkade at the Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The intellectual merit of this proposal lies in his current development of two new types of powerful catalysts for industrially important reactions. These catalyst types are based on the new organophosphorus and on the new organo-aluminum compounds he is synthesizing. The structures of these catalyst molecules are designed to incorporate a novel electronic feature that enhances their catalytic activity. The catalyst molecules are also designed to be attached with strong chemical bonds to special solid supports. Such solid-supported catalysts can be recycled many times in either batch or flow reactors. A broad impact of the work supported by this award is that, in terms of economic and environmental considerations, methodologies for important organic reactions will be improved through higher catalyst activity (resulting in lower amounts of catalyst required), the absence of heavy (toxic) metals in the catalysts, and higher product yields under less energy-intensive conditions. The award's second impact is that undergraduate, graduate and post doctoral students as well as visiting professors will continue to be educated and trained in this academically and industrially important area.