Can Catalysts Dance? Catalytic Choreography in Olefin Polymerization

美国国家科学基金会化学部的有机和大分子化学项目支持斯坦福大学Robert M. Waymouth教授的研究，他提出了将烯烃催化转化为高价值材料和化学中间体的新动力学策略。具体目标是制定合成策略，以产生具有确定序列分布的聚烯烃，并从现成的烯烃原料中产生新型的远旋低聚物。具体的知识收获预期从拟议的工作包括：(1)理解构象动力学的作用，以产生“智能”催化剂，可以进入多个动力学状态；(2)理解必要的和充分的标准，链穿梭聚合作为一种策略，以产生多态催化剂；(3)进一步了解选择性低聚乙烯的金属循环机制。Waymouth教授的研究将使学生参与高度跨学科的研究领域，包括有机和有机金属合成、计算方法、机械无机和有机金属化学、催化烯烃聚合以及聚合物结构和性能分析。烯烃的催化聚合是20世纪的主要技术成果之一。烯烃聚合催化是典型的转化科学，其中新的科学见解和催化剂发展的进步已经改变了工业实践。除了Waymouth教授的研究和他的指导活动的影响之外，这项由NSF赞助的研究将与一系列将扩大他的学术活动影响的举措相结合。Waymouth教授计划在2009年夏天招募一名高中科学教师，在他的实验室开发与大分子科学相关的教学模块，并在适当的程度上开发多嵌段聚烯烃的有趣特性。他在招募和指导女性、弱势群体和残疾学生方面发挥了积极作用。

The Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports Professor Robert M. Waymouth of Stanford University who proposes studies to devise new kinetic strategies for the catalytic conversion of olefins into high-value materials and chemical intermediates. Specific aims are to develop synthetic strategies to generate polyolefins of defined sequence distribution and to generate new classes of telechelic oligomers derived from readily available olefin feedstocks. Specific intellectual gains anticipated from the proposed work include: (1) an understanding of the role of conformational dynamics to generate "smart" catalysts that can access multiple kinetic states, (2) an understanding of the necessary and sufficient criteria for chain-shuttling polymerization as a strategy to generate multi-state catalysts, and (3) further insights on metallacycle mechanisms for selectively oligomerizing ethylene. Research by Professor Waymouth will engage students in a highly interdisciplinary research area that combines organic and organometallic syntheses, computational methods, mechanistic inorganic and organometallic chemistry, catalytic olefin polymerization, and analysis of polymer structure and properties. The catalytic polymerization of olefins constitutes one of the major technological achievements of the 20th Century. Olefin polymerization catalysis is prototypical translational science, where new scientific insights and advances in catalyst developments have transformed industrial practice. In addition to the impact of Professor Waymouth's research and his mentoring activities, this NSF sponsored research will be coupled with a number of initiatives that will broaden the impact of his scholarly activities. Professor Waymouth plans to recruit a high school science teacher to spend the summer of 2009 in his laboratory to develop teaching modules associated with macromolecular science, and to the extent appropriate, the intriguing features of multiblock polyolefins. He has taken an active role in recruiting and mentoring women, underrepresented, and disabled students.