Small Molecule Activation and Homogeneous Catalysis with Organometallic Molecules Based on Sustainable Transition Metals

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The catalysis of chemical transformations is the cornerstone of the chemical industry's major contribution to modern society. Catalysts—chemical entities that increase the rate and selectivity of a transformation without being used up in the process—are needed for the manufacture of the vast majority of chemical products. Innovation in catalysis has thus been a key contributor to the high standard of living enjoyed by Canadians. ******Developments in catalysis are also essential for the future of human society. The significant energy and environmental challenges humanity faces will be surmounted primarily through technological advances in catalysis. Specifically, the selective and rapid catalysis of reactions that are energetically unfavorable remains a challenge for the field. Most important among such reactions involve the activation and conversion of the small molecules that are the end products of combustion (H2O, CO2) or the nitrogen cycle (N2). Conversion of by-products and pollutants derived from these processes (CH4, N2O) is also of prime interest. The discovery of molecular catalysts based on transition metals that are capable of converting these and other small molecules into useful products such as fuels or value added chemicals is an overarching objective of this research program. Since carrying out these reactions at the large scale necessary to have an impact in solving environmental and energy problems, a second objective is to develop catalysts that utilize the earth abundant metals like iron, nickel and cobalt.******As synthetic chemists, our group's approach is to design and synthesize new ligands for transition metal (TM) complexes that will be active catalysts for such transformations. A “ligand” is an organic molecule that binds to the TM and both shapes the space around the metal and tunes its ability to bind and activate small molecules. Desirable ligand design features include the following: multidenticity (3-5 points of contact with the central metal), electron richness to encourage formation of high oxidation state intermediates, pi conjugation to allow for the management of electrons in multielectron reactions, and acid and base sites proximal to the central TM to allow for the management of protons. We create ligands with a combination of these features and then explore their coordination chemistry on TMs and evaluate the performance of these compounds as catalysts for the above mentioned reactions.******The proposal describes our group's specific scientific approach, which focuses on 2 recently developed families of ligands with the above features, as well as exciting new ligand designs for novel TM coordination environments and catalysis.******A team of 8-10 researchers, led by Dr. Warren Piers, will explore these important questions, gaining technical expertise, communication skills and problem solving abilities that equip them to be innovators of tomorrow.**