CAREER: Self-Assembly of Electrophilic Late Metal Catalysts and Catalyzing Careers in Research

这个由无机，生物无机和有机化学计划颁发的职业奖支持俄克拉荷马州州立大学的LeGrande Slaughter教授的工作，以研究基于金属键合异腈的金属点击反应性的独特类型的自组装。 新的合成方法被用来构建一系列不同的二氨基卡宾配体，具有不同的给电子性能和手性结构。 这些配体将被系统地修饰，以发现和优化用于手性[3，3]-σ转移重排和Nazarov环化的刘易斯酸性后金属催化剂，常规配体对这些反应不广泛有效。 将廉价、易得的前体转化为具有医学重要性的复杂分子的新工具是这项研究的预期成果。 对催化剂发现的关注将把这项研究与针对农村高中生的教育推广计划联系起来。 与现有的向上拓展计划合作，来自美国印第安学生比例高的农村学校的学生和来自没有大学教育史的家庭的学生将被招募参加两个相互关联的活动。 首先，一系列题为催化发现的实验将通过涉及催化的动手实验向学生介绍研究的兴奋。 第二，基于网络的网络空间研究峰会（克雷斯）将强调基础研究的更广泛的影响，通过互动的网络视频会议，使学生与工业和学术催化研究人员聚集在一起。 该计划的最终目标是增加农村学生的研究事业，积极影响他们的社区和科学劳动力。

This CAREER award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports work by Professor LeGrande Slaughter at Oklahoma State University to investigate a unique type of self-assembly based on metallo-click reactivity of metal-bound isocyanides. Novel synthetic methods are used to construct a diverse array of diaminocarbene ligands with varying electron-donating properties and chiral structures. These ligands will be systematically modified to discover and optimize Lewis acidic late-metal catalysts for chiral [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements and Nazarov cyclizations, synthetically valuable reactions for which conventional ligands are not broadly effective. New tools for the conversion of inexpensive, readily available precursors into medicinally important complex molecules are an anticipated outcome of this research. A focus on catalyst discovery will link this research with an educational outreach program targeting rural high school students. In partnership with an existing Upward Bound program, students from rural schools that have high percentages of American Indian students and students from families with no history of college education will be recruited for participation in two interrelated activities. First, a series of experiments entitled Catalyzing Discovery will introduce students to the excitement of research through hands-on experimentation involving catalysis. Second, Web-based Cyberspace Research Summits (CReS) will emphasize the broader impacts of basic research through interactive cyber-enabled videoconferences that bring students together with industrial and academic catalysis researchers. The ultimate goal of this program is to increase attainment of research careers by rural students, positively impacting both their communities and the scientific workforce.