CAREER: SusChEM: Iron Catalysts for the Reduction of Amides

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In this project funded by the Chemical Synthesis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Michael Findlater of the Department of Chemistry at Texas Tech University is developing sustainable catalysts based upon the earth abundant transition metals. Chemical catalysis is used to produce many commodity chemicals in the pharmaceutical, construction, communication and food industries and thus, is a fundamental economic driver for the U.S. economy. However, many of the most importance catalytic transformations rely on expensive and rare metal elements. These rare metals currently provide a critical need in catalytic chemistry. To meet this challenge, new catalysts based on less toxic and earth abundant elements are being designed and synthesized as replacements for the precious metal elements currently in use. An outreach program developed by Professor Findlater involves the development of traveling Labs which focus on catalysis. The labs are designed for portability to allow transport to rural area high schools; allowing the students the means to learn about catalysis. This project focuses on new environmentally benign catalysts based on diimine complexes of iron, as well as the study of the varied mechanisms at play in iron catalysis. Various catalyst structures are being examined, and the most promising ones are being studied further using X-ray crystallography, paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy and detailed kinetic analyses. The broader impacts of this work include potential societal benefits from the discovery of catalysts from less toxic, earth abundant metals and new insight into the reaction chemistry of first-row transition metals.