CAREER: Carbon-Carbon Single Bond Activation - Mechanistic Comparisons and Reaction Development

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In this CAREER award funded by the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Jeffrey B. Johnson of the Department of Chemistry at Hope College will pursue a mechanistic understanding of the process of carbon-carbon single bond activation by transition metal catalysts. The proposed research will begin with the detailed mechanistic analysis of three known transition metal-catalyzed C-C bond activation reactions. Data compiled from these studies will provide insight into factors that influence the activation of C-C single bonds, reveal mechanistic pathways and catalytic intermediates, and subsequently guide the development of more general and powerful reaction methodologies. Although C-C single bonds are ubiquitous within organic chemistry, this chemical moiety is generally considered inert - few reactions selectively cleave and functionalize C-C bonds. New methods hold the promise of a new paradigm that may have profound implication for the construction of biologically active molecules, natural products and pharmaceutical compounds. Carrying out the proposed research at an undergraduate institution will involve undergraduate students as the sole researchers on all facets of the work. These students will have the opportunity to extend their classroom experiences and explore new subjects such as organometallic chemistry, catalysis, and kinetic and mechanistic studies, while also developing skills required for success in any field. This project also supports a collaboration with the Hope College Upward Bound Program, a program that assists at-risk high school students prepare for college and thus promotes the improvement of diversity within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.