CAREER: Catalysis and Oxygen Atom Transfer

利用容易获得的材料制造化学品的新方法的发展对制药、农用化学品和材料工业产生了影响。雷诺内华达大学的Laina Geary博士领导的研究正在开发新的反应，以最大限度地减少这些过程中的浪费。这些目标正在通过使用一种称为氧原子转移的反应来实现。这些反应正被用来以新的方式形成碳-碳键。进一步利用机械的洞察力来设计新的流程。这项研究是由高中到博士后阶段的学生进行的。本科水平的新实验室课程也旨在将研究中的课程整合到课堂上。新的指导计划促进了高中生、本科生和研究生之间的合作，并将学生培养成更好的教师、导师和科学倡导者。在化学部化学催化计划的资助下，内华达大学里诺(UNR)的Laina Geary博士正在开发建立新的碳-碳键的方法，这种方法是通过过渡金属催化氧原子的穿梭来驱动的。目前的方法通常使用高分子量材料作为氧汇或供氧体，大大增加了废物，并使净化过程复杂化。低分子气态分子替代氧源的应用为减少废物提供了一种有吸引力的替代方法，并揭示了一种新的机械形式，在此基础上正在开发新的方法。该计划正在开发基于过渡金属催化氧原子转移的还原和氧化方法，使丰富的原料转化为新的价态化合物成为可能。为了支持这一研究计划的更广泛影响，Geary博士正在带头支持UNR在STEM领域支持代表性不足的高中生的努力。她还在开发项目，以增加高中、本科生和研究生教育水平的研究参与度和科学宣传。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The development of new ways to make chemicals from readily available materials impacts the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and materials industries. The research led by Dr. Laina Geary of the University of Nevada, Reno is developing new reactions to minimize waste in these processes. These goals are being met by using a type of reaction known as oxygen atom transfer. These reactions are being used to make carbon-carbon bonds in new ways. Mechanistic insights are further leveraged to design new processes. This research is being conducted by students from the high school to the postdoctoral level. New laboratory courses at the undergraduate level are also designed to integrate lessons from the research to the classroom. New mentoring programs foster collaboration between students at high school, undergraduate and graduate levels and train students to be better teachers, mentors, and science advocates.With funding from the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Dr. Laina Geary of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) is developing methods to forge new carbon-carbon bonds, which are driven by the shuttling of oxygen atoms via transition metal catalysis. Current methods typically utilize high molecular weight materials as oxygen sinks or donors, significantly increasing waste and compounding the purification process. The application of low molecular weight, gaseous molecules in lieu of those oxygen sources provides an attractive alternate to reducing waste, and exposes a new mechanistic manifold upon which new methods are being developed. This program is developing both reductive and oxidative methods based on transition metal catalyzed oxygen atom transfer that is enabling the conversion of abundant, feedstock materials into new, valorized compounds. In support of the broader impacts of this research program, Dr. Geary is spearheading UNR's efforts to support underrepresented high school students in STEM fields. She is also developing programs that increase research engagement and scientific advocacy across high school, undergraduate and graduate levels of education.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.