Investigative and developmental catalysis: polymer electrolyte fuel cells, asymmetric catalysis and reusable polymer-catalyst frameworks

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Our primary objective is to develop efficient, green, and new catalytic reactions to synthesize pharmaceuticals, insecticides, and to produce energy in fuel cells. We maximize the reactivity, lifetime, and reusability of our catalysts by studying how they work, and using this information to guide the preparation of better catalysts and reactions. We prepare active dissolved catalysts, highly reusable solid polymer-catalyst frameworks, and tailored nanoparticles. We have prepared and studied most intermediates in the important, and widely-used Noyori ketone hydrogenation. From this study, we learned how to develop a system that hydrogenates esters to make alcohols under remarkably mild conditions. The industrial conversion of esters to alcohols presently requires large amounts of flammable solid hydride reagents that are dangerous to handle and that create waste. Ester hydrogenation is a green, efficient, alternate technology. Pharmaceuticals are complex molecules. The most efficient way to prepare them is from simply prepared, inexpensive starting molecules with the complexity built in. From our studies, we learned how to develop a new reaction, the desymmetrization of imides by mono hydrogenation. This reaction multiplies the amount of useful molecular complexity that was obtained in a single catalytic step by five. We also construct catalyst-organic frameworks of common catalysts that are presently used once and discarded. Our frameworks are the most reusable chiral catalysts for hydrogenation and cycloisomerizations to date. We aim to prepare continuous flow column reactors with starting material entering the top, and product exiting out the bottom.