Catalysis for sustainable aluminum-carbon bond formation

在这项由化学系化学催化计划资助的项目中，爱荷华州立大学的亚伦·萨杜教授正在研究铝的新型化学反应活性。这项研究支持了美国的经济，因为铝在北美广泛存在，在许多行业都有价值，包括饮料、住房和交通行业。特别令人感兴趣的是许多有用的与碳键合的铝化合物。萨杜教授正在开发制造这种铝-碳键的新方法。具体目标是用新设计的催化剂产生这些键，加速并引导反应形成所需的产品。这项工作的某些方面具有挑战性，因为典型的有机铝化合物在与空气和水接触时会分解。除了这个研究项目，萨杜博士还参与了社区推广活动，目的是教育广大受众有关绿色化学等热点问题的挑战和机遇。主要场所是社区广播节目，通过网站和存档节目网络接触到当地和全国观众。Sadow教授还参加了一个正在进行的关于化学职业的系列研讨会，向本科生和研究生介绍工业和学术化学家和其他科学家。在这个项目中，爱荷华州立大学的Aaron Sadow教授正在研究碳-氢(C-H)键与铝化合物的催化反应，以有效地合成炔基、乙烯基和芳基铝化合物。烷基铝与炔烃和烯烃的反应在没有催化剂的情况下是非选择性的，根据不饱和反应物和铝试剂的不同，可以得到金属化、碳铝化和水合铝化的混合物。此外，碳化铝而不是铝化是早期过渡金属催化的典型途径。相反，Sadow博士正在开发一种催化方法，通过用C-H键取代C-Al键来实现炔烃的铝化。催化、无盐废物的合成使新的有机铝物种可以用于两步一锅反应，并利用了炔基铝的极化亲核特性。Sadow博士还在通过动力学研究反应机理，以与碳铝化进行比较。萨杜博士正在开发一个社区广播节目，广泛讨论化学界在可持续企业方面所面临的挑战和取得的进展。此外，他正在为爱荷华州立大学的本科生组织一系列讲座，重点介绍学术和工业化学研究中绿色化学和可持续发展方面的挑战和技术进步。该奖项反映了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。

In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Aaron Sadow of Iowa State University is studying the novel chemical reactivity of aluminum. This research supports the economy of the United States since aluminum is widely available in North America and is of value in many industries including the beverage, housing, and transportation industries. Of particular interest are the many useful aluminum compounds with bonds to carbon. Professor Sadow is developing new methods for making such aluminum-carbon bonds. The specific goal is to generate these bonds with newly designed catalysts that speed-up and guide the reactions to form desired products. Aspects of the work are challenging because typical organoaluminum compounds decompose upon contact with air and water. In addition to this research project, Dr. Sadow is engaged in community outreach with the goal of educating broad audiences about the challenges and opportunities of topical issues, such as green chemistry. The principal venue is community radio programming, which reaches both a local and national audience through a network of websites and archived shows. Professor Sadow also participates in an on-going seminar series on careers in chemistry, which introduces industrial and academic chemists and other scientists to undergraduate and graduate students.In this project, Professor Aaron Sadow of Iowa State University is studying the catalytic reactions of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds with aluminum compounds to efficiently synthesize alkynyl-, vinyl-, and aryl-aluminum compounds. Reactions of aluminum alkyls with alkynes and alkenes are unselective without a catalyst, giving mixtures resulting from metalation, carboalumination, and hydroalumination, depending on the unsaturated reactant and aluminum reagent. In addition, carboaluminum, rather than alumination, is the typical pathway catalyzed by early transition metals. Instead, Dr. Sadow is developing catalytic methods for alumination of alkynes involving substitution of a C-H bond for C-Al bond. The catalytic, salt-waste-free synthesis allows the new organoaluminum species to be used in two-step, one-pot reactions and takes advantage of the polarized nucleophilic character of alkynylaluminums. Dr. Sadow is also investigating the reaction mechanism through kinetics, for comparison with carboalumination. Dr. Sadow is developing a community radio program that broadly discusses the challenges and advances made by the chemistry community toward sustainable enterprises. Additionally, he is organizing a lecture series for Iowa State undergraduate students that highlights challenges and technical advances in green chemistry and sustainability in academic and industrial chemistry research.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.