New Lewis Bases for Chemical Catalysis

在这个由化学系化学催化计划资助的项目中，西北大学化学系Karl A.Scheidt教授将研究新型Lewis碱作为化学反应催化剂的合成和研究。重点将放在N-杂环卡宾(NHCs)上。这些Lewis碱已被开发为无金属催化剂，并被用作配体来生成手性金属络合物。然而，目前还缺乏新的手性NHC，对NHC催化过程的机理研究也很少。该项目将致力于开发新的手性NHC家族作为配体和催化剂。研究的不同阶段包括a)新型手性N-杂环卡宾的合成和表征，以及在已建立的催化过程中对这些NHC的评价/基准，b)探索/验证卡宾催化机理，以及c)旨在了解新催化剂的结构和活性关系的研究，目的是为了预测和控制Lewis碱过程的结果。这些进展最终将加速合成天然产品、药物和精细化学品的能力，效率最高，对环境的影响最小。促进高价值反应的新催化剂的开发是一项关键的事业，它影响着具有生物和药理学终点的广泛的科学努力。对该项目的研究将增进我们对路易斯碱和金属催化的了解，以及作为现代化学科学基础的结构反应性关系。这些研究为S的各类学生和博士后研究员提供了培训。推动这些项目的研究生和本科生预期获得的技能包括高级问题解决、化学合成和机械有机化学/催化。

In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Karl A. Scheidt, Chemistry Department of Northwestern University, will investigate the synthesis and study of new Lewis bases as catalysts for chemical reactions. A primary focus will be on N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). These Lewis bases have been developed as metal-free catalysts as well as being employed as ligands to generate chiral metal complexes. However, there is a dearth of new, chiral NHCs and there have been few mechanistic investigations of NHC-catalyzed processes. This project will focus on the development of new families of chiral NHCs as ligands and catalysts. The different phases of the investigation include a) synthesis and characterization of new classes of chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes and the evaluation/benchmarking of these NHCs in established catalytic processes, b) exploring/validating carbene catalysis mechanisms, and c) studies geared towards understanding the structure reactivity relationships of new catalysts for the purpose of predicting and controlling the outcome of Lewis base processes. These advances will ultimately expedite the ability to synthesize natural products, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals with maximum efficiency and minimal impact on the environment. The development of new catalysts that promote high value reactions is a crucial enterprise that impacts a wide range of scientific endeavors with biological and pharmacological endpoints. The investigations to be carried out on this project will advance our knowledge of Lewis base and metal catalysis, as well as structure reactivity relationships that are the foundation of modern chemical science. These studies provide training for s diverse set of students and postdoctoral fellows. The expected skills acquired by graduate and undergraduate students driving these projects include advanced problem solving, chemical synthesis, and mechanistic organic chemistry/catalysis.