CAREER: Copper Catalyzed Oxidative Decarboxylative Coupling Reactions for the Direct Functionalization of Arenes

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In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Jessica Hoover of West Virginia University is developing new catalytic reactions for the formation of carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds from carboxylic acids through oxidative decarboxylative coupling reactions. This new method uses a copper catalyst to transform simple carboxylic acids and arenes into heterobiaryls and haloalkyl arenes that are relevant to pharmaceutical and biological molecules. This technology offers improvements over classical coupling methods, including the replacement of expensive, toxic, and wasteful organometallic reagents with inexpensive and readily available carboxylic acid starting materials while generating minimal waste. The formation of C-C bonds are key steps in the construction of complex structures and the successful development of this methodology will enable the design of new, more efficient catalysts for the formation of C-C bonds by the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. Professor Hoover is actively engaged in the integration of research and education at the undergraduate level partly by involving undergraduates in the research laboratory and partly by incorporating research experiments and concepts into the undergraduate curriculum. This award also supports the development of a new summer program designed to bring together chemists, engineers, and artists to work toward the common goal of building a public science-art installation. The program is designed to initiate a meaningful dialog of science within the local Morgantown community, to help student participants communicate effectively between science, the humanities, and art, and with the broader public sphere.