Achieving Challenging Transformations with 1,2,3-Triazole Based Novel Metal Catalysts

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This project is funded by the Chemical Synthesis program of the Chemistry Division. Professor Xiaodong Shi of University of South Florida develops new catalytic systems for the synthesis of azaborine compounds and for the C-H bond activation. The inclusion of boron in organic compounds (compounds composed largely of carbon and hydrogen) is important in biomedical applications and optoelectronic materials. However, boron is not part of most organic compounds. To address this difficulty, this project is developing new ways of inserting a boron-nitrogen unit into organic compounds. In addition, these methods devised are being modified so that they can be used to increase the reactivity of organic molecules. This latter goal is very important in many chemical processes including the conversion of natural gas into valuable chemical feedstocks. The project also brings undergraduate students into research early in their college careers. This permits them to work with graduate and postdoctoral students in a multidisciplinary project that prepares them for graduate education and/or careers in chemistry. This project focuses on new catalysts based on triazole complexes of gold, palladium, iron, cobalt and nickel as well as the synthesis of azaborine and asymmetric methods toward C-H bond activation. Various catalyst structures are examined, and the most promising ones are studied further using X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The reaction mechanism of each catalyst is investigated using typical kinetic analyses including NMR spectroscopy and reactive IR. The project provides training of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students in multidisciplinary catalytic science. In addition, an outreach program to undergraduates is providing a platform to gain research experience for their future career development.