Dual station inert atmosphere glovebox for the preparation of group 4 and lanthanide complexes for catalysis

早期过渡金属，如钛和稀土金属(位于元素周期表底部)是非常活泼的金属，以促进具有挑战性的成键反应而闻名。然而，由于它们非常活泼，它们可能很难处理，因此它们经常被忽视，因为它们是开发新的工业相关催化剂的重要金属。我们的研究小组已经启动了一项研究计划，正在开发一种新的易变化的催化剂家族--酰胺络合物，这种催化剂可以从商业上可以获得的原料中快速组装起来。到目前为止，我们已经确定，这些容易制备的体系的钛和锆络合物在选择性形成C-N键方面表现出无与伦比的反应活性。随着与制药工业直接相关的C-N键的高效合成，由于许多具有医药活性的目标分子都含有氮。正在进行的工作继续探索这类络合物在选择性催化合成C-C键以及从氮气中制备C-N键的潜在应用。与这些金属打交道的挑战之一是它们与大气水分和氧气的反应。由于我们制造的化合物不能暴露在空气中。为了继续我们国际公认的研究计划，我们大约10名研究人员迫切需要一个手套盒。由于这个专门的盒子允许研究人员在无反应(惰性)的大气中工作，我们可以使用这种手套箱，结合专门的气敏处理技术(Schlenk技术)来继续开发这类新的络合物的令人兴奋的化学。不幸的是，目前我们没有足够的手套箱空间来有效地继续这些研究。如果为实验室获得足够的资金购买新的手套箱，将立即改善Schafer小组所有研究人员(本科生、研究生和博士后级别的实习生)的实验资源。

Early transition metals, such as titanium as well as lanthanide metals (found at the bottom of the periodic table) are very reactive metals that are known to promote challenging bond-forming reactions.  However, because they are so reactive, they can be difficult to work with and as a consequence, they are frequently overlooked as important metals for the development of new industrially relevant catalysts.  Our research group has initiated a research program that is developing a new family of easily varied catalysts, amidate complexes, that are quickly assembled from commercially available starting materials.  To date, we have established that titanium and zirconium complexes of these easily prepared systems display unparalleled reactivity in the selective formation of C-N bonds.  The efficient synthesis of C-N bonds immediately relevant to the pharmaceutical industry, as many medicinally active target molecules contain N.  On-going work continues to explore the potential application of this class of complexes for the selective catalytic synthesis of C-C bonds as well as the preparation of C-N bonds from nitrogen gas.  One of the challenges of working with these metals is their reactivity with atmospheric moisture and oxygen.  The compounds we make cannot be exposed to air.  To continue our internationally recognized research program, our group of approximately 10 researchers urgently requires a glovebox.  This specialized box allows the researcher to work under a non-reactive (inert) atmostphere, such as argon.  We can use this glovebox, in combination with specialized air-sensitive handling techniques (Schlenk techniques) to continue developing the exciting chemistry of this new class of complexes.  Unfortunately, at present we do not have adequate access to glovebox space to continue these investigations efficiently.  Securing adequate funds for the purchase of a new glovebox for the laboratory will immediately improve the experimental resources of all the researchers in the Schafer group (undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral level trainees).