Ligand Designs for Catalysis: New Directions for Green Chemistry

绿色化学的创新研究项目将在该领域产生重大影响，并将为本科生、研究生和高级研究人员提供高水平的化学培训机会，因此是化学（即自然）科学中涉及创新的高影响力研究项目的基础科学学习。我们之前设计过“绿色”化学系统；例如，高效节能过程的催化剂，以及利用现有技术制造困难或昂贵的材料。我们通过多种方法来衡量这项工作的影响：专利技术（我们最近申请了用于特殊聚合物应用的新催化剂的专利），科学披露，如期刊文章（我们在同行评审的科学期刊上发表了30多篇文章），其他科学家使用我们的技术并在他们自己的工作中引用我们的化学成分。后两个方面的一个例子是我们合成的一种昵称为“DMU-212”的乳腺癌候选药物。我们披露了我们的一种催化剂可以用来制造这种分子，几个月后，我们收到了另一个研究团队（总部位于AB）的请求，要求提供这种催化剂的样品和我们合成方法的细节。他们使用我们的方案/催化剂生产的DMU-212进行了一项关键的临床研究。由于对其他科学家及其工作的影响，详细介绍这种催化剂的已发表论文获得了一家主要科学出版商颁发的“2004-2007年被引用最多的论文奖”。因此，该提案的重点是通过进行重要的高影响力研究来培训科学家。在化学科学方面的培训允许一个人追求各种职业道路，因为受训人员总体上“学会运用科学推理来解决问题”。这项资金申请的目的是通过三个主要重点来培训这些人员：(i)综合技术（技术培训）；（ii）沟通（论文/公开演讲）和（iii）化学知识（背景知识，知识应用）。此后，受训者可以对任何涉及科学或一般情况的问题解决练习的适当行动方案作出合理的判断。这项工作很重要，因为它扩展了我们过去的成功（如上所述），但也为当前化学世界的关键因素提供了显著的提升，加拿大是其中的重要组成部分：(i)绿色科学倡议；（ii）在钳形化学方面的前沿工作，其中PI是重要的参与者；（三）基础化学科学在国内、国际和工业领域合作的新设计和前景。

This innovative research program in Green Chemistry will have a high impact in the field and will provide high level training opportunities in chemistry for undergraduates, graduate students and senior researchers and is hence a fundamental scientific learning involving an innovation high impact research program in the chemical (i.e. natural) sciences. We have previously designed systems for "greener" chemistry; for example, catalysts for energy efficient processes and to make materials that are difficult or expensive to make using current technology. We measure the impact of this work by a number of methods: patented technology (we recently applied to patent our new catalysts for specialised polymer applications), scientific disclosures such as journal article (we have over 30 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals from 2006-2012), other scientists using our technology and citing our chemistry in their own work. An example of these latter two aspects is exemplified by our synthesis of a breast cancer drug candidate nicknamed "DMU-212". We disclosed that one of our catalysts can be used to make this molecule and within a few months we had a request from another research team (based in AB) for samples of this catalyst and details of our synthetic methods. They used DMU-212 produced via our protocols/catalyst for a key clinical study using this drug. Published work detailing this same catalyst won a "Most Cited Paper 2004-2007 Award" from a major scientific publisher due to the impact it has had on other scientists and their work. Hence, this proposal is focussed on training scientists by producing important high impact research. Training in the chemical sciences allows one to pursue a variety of career paths as the trainees overall "learn to apply scientific reasoning to solve problem". This funding application is directed towards training such personnel by applying three main foci: (i) synthetic techniques (technical training); (ii) communication (dissertation/public presentation) and (iii) knowledge of chemistry (background knowledge, knowledge application). Thereafter, trainees can make sound judgements on an appropriate course of action for any problem solving exercise involving science or situations in general. This work is important because it expands on our past success (above) but also provides significant ramping up of key factors in the current chemical world of which Canada is an important part: (i) Green Science initiatives; (ii) cutting edge work on pincer chemistry of which the PI is an important player; and (iii) new designs and outlooks for fundamental chemical science to collaborate nationally, internationally and with industry.