Activation and Functionalization of Hydrocarbons by Soluble Transition Metal Complexes

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Dr. Thomas C. Flood, Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program of the Chemistry Division with a contribution for instrumentation from the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate for the study of the activation and functionalization of hydrocarbons by soluble transition metal complexes. Investigations will focus on alkene insertion and carbon-hydrogen activation through metal mediated oxidative addition and electrophilic alkane metathesis. Using triamine-ligated complexes of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and osmium, the influence of metal, oxidations state, steric bulk, electronic effects of the ancillary ligands, alkyl group structure, charge, and chelate ring size on these reactions will be assessed. Amine ligation will be exploited to prepare high oxidation state and oxo species that will display an enhanced ability to functionalize hydrocarbons. In all cases reaction mechanisms will be analyzed. Chemical transformations of hydrocarbons are the basis for much of our utilization of energy and material natural resources, which are in turn an integral part of our economy and an important source of our standard of living. Many transformations of hydrocarbons are carried out through their interactions with metals and metal compounds. It is a basic tenant of chemistry that a better understanding of mechanisms of reactions will lead to improved methods for converting raw materials into materials to improve our lives. Expressed as broadly as possible, it is the purpose of the proposed research to enhance and extend our understanding of how metal complexes can be used to manipulate the structures of hydrocarbons, which should ultimately lead to enhanced availability of energy resources.