Organometallic Chemistry of High Valent Nickel

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Organometallic Chemistry of High Valent NickelTransition metal catalysts are used to manufacture many important products, including life-saving pharmaceuticals, crop-protecting agrochemicals, and electronic materials. The cost and sustainability of these products are directly impacted by the development of new catalysts that are less expensive, that generate less waste, and that operate under milder conditions. A particularly important goal for the field is to replace catalysts that are based on rare and expensive precious metals (e.g. palladium) and towards those derived from inexpensive and more readily available metals (e.g., nickel). Often, however, the more desirable inexpensive metals have very different (and often problematic) properties, that make them difficult to use for these important applications. In this project Dr. Sanford and her research group are conducting detailed studies of nickel catalysts. The overall goal of this work is to determine how to control the properties of nickel catalysts to enable them to perform as well or better than their palladium analogues. Dr. Sanford is also actively involved in outreach activities that seek to increase the participation of women in science and engineering. For example, she is working with programs that engage middle-school aged girls in scientific activities and that train diverse graduate students for careers in science/technology.With funding from the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Dr. Sanford of the University of Michigan is studying the fundamental organometallic chemistry of high valent nickel intermediates [i.e., nickel(III) and nickel(IV) complexes]. Despite their potential relevance to a wide variety of important Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling and C-H functionalization reactions, the synthesis and reactivity of organometallic nickel(III) and nickel(IV) compounds has not been systematically explored. The current work is focused on establishing the feasibility and mechanisms of a variety of transformations at nickel(III) and nickel(IV) centers using both model systems and catalytic intermediates. The reactivity and selectivity profiles that are being established herein are expected to have a transformative impact on the design and optimization of new high valent Ni-catalyzed transformations. Dr. Sanford is also actively engaged in outreach programs aimed at broadening participation of women in science at the K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and faculty levels. Furthermore, her project is training a diverse group of scientists in the interdisciplinary areas of inorganic and organic synthesis, inorganic reaction mechanisms, electrochemistry, and catalysis. A well-trained and diverse scientific workforce is essential for continued advances in innovation and technology in the 21st century.