Synthesis and Reactivity of Metallaradicals

通过这个奖项，无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目支持了特拉华大学克劳斯·西奥波德博士的研究工作。该项目将探索一类顺磁性有机金属化合物的合成路线和反应化学，特别是高氧化态顺磁性铬氧烷基和烷基烯。这些化合物不稳定且难以表征，但作为商业催化剂具有很大的潜力和相关性。烷基烷被假定为有机金属转化中的反应中间体。合成化学有望产生与聚合和氧化催化有关的新化合物。早期的金属烷基化合物将用作催化剂，用于制备以前难以获得的具有不同寻常性质的聚合材料。这个项目本质上是基础性的，但有可能对商业催化剂的开发产生实际影响。这项工作将研究目前使用的有毒六价铬催化剂如何将氧原子转移到碳氢化合物中并从碳氢化合物中提取氢，并开发对环境有益的替代催化剂。这项工作将对其他材料科学学科产生重大影响。本科生和研究生将体验多样化的研究文化，并将获得化学和制药公司高需求的合成化学的强大背景。

With this award, the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports the research work of Dr. Klaus Theopold of the University of Delaware. The project will explore the synthetic routes and reaction chemistry of a paramagnetic class of organometallic compounds, specifically high oxidation state paramagnetic chromium-oxo alkyls and alkylidenes. These compounds are unstable and difficult to characterize, but have great potential and relevance as commercial catalysts. The alkylidines have been postulated as reactive intermediates in organometallic transformations. The synthetic chemistry is expected to result in new compounds relevant to catalysis in polymerizations and oxidations. Early metal alkylidene compounds will be used as catalysts for the preparation of previously inaccessible polymeric materials with unusual properties.This project is fundamental in nature but has the potential to have practical impact on commercial catalyst development. The work will examine how the oxygen atom transfers to and hydrogen abstraction from hydrocarbons takes place with the presently employed toxic hexavalent chromium catalysts, and develop alternative catalysts that will be environmentally beneficial. The work will have a significant impact in other material sciences disciplines. Undergraduate and graduate students will experience a varied research culture and will gain a strong background in synthetic chemistry which is in high demand in chemical and pharmaceutical companies.