Nitrene Transfer Reactions with Iron Complexes

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The Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports the efforts of Professor Patrick L. Holland of the University of Rochester and Professor Brian Edelbach of Monroe Community College for the investigation of three- and four-coordinate iron-nitrene complexes. Their research shows the influence of the coordination number and geometry of a metal on the rate of hydrogen atom abstraction by the nitrene fragment. Oxidation-resistant supporting ligands are designed to enable spectroscopic and crystallographic studies on the reactive nitrene complexes. These studies lead to new designs for amination and other catalytic reactions of iron. Undergraduate students from Monroe Community College participate in summer research at the University of Rochester. These students contribute to the synthesis of new ligands and gain exposure to cutting-edge inorganic chemistry. The catalytic chemistry of iron provides an inexpensive alternative to toxic, expensive heavy metal catalysts, and thus this research provides a pathway to cheaper, safer routes to useful chemicals.