New Lewis Bases for Chemical Catalysis

在这个由化学系化学催化计划资助的项目中，卡尔·A·西北大学化学系Scheidt将调查新的刘易斯碱作为化学反应催化剂的合成和研究。 主要重点将是N-杂环卡宾（NHC）。这些刘易斯碱已被开发为不含金属的催化剂以及用作配体以生成手性金属络合物。然而，有一个新的，手性NHC的缺乏，也有一些NHC催化过程的机理研究。该项目将侧重于开发新的手性NHC家族作为配体和催化剂。研究的不同阶段包括：a）合成和表征新类型的手性N-杂环卡宾，并在已建立的催化过程中对这些NHC进行评估/基准测试，B）探索/验证卡宾催化机制，以及c）旨在了解新催化剂的结构反应性关系的研究，以预测和控制刘易斯碱过程的结果。这些进步将最终加快合成天然产品、药物和精细化学品的能力，同时实现最大效率和对环境的最小影响。 促进高价值反应的新催化剂的开发是一项重要的事业，它影响着具有生物学和药理学终点的广泛科学努力。在这个项目上进行的研究将推进我们对刘易斯碱和金属催化的认识，以及作为现代化学科学基础的结构反应性关系。 这些研究为各种各样的学生和博士后研究员提供培训。研究生和本科生驾驶这些项目获得的预期技能包括高级问题解决，化学合成和机械有机化学/催化。

In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Karl A. Scheidt, Chemistry Department of Northwestern University, will investigate the synthesis and study of new Lewis bases as catalysts for chemical reactions. A primary focus will be on N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). These Lewis bases have been developed as metal-free catalysts as well as being employed as ligands to generate chiral metal complexes. However, there is a dearth of new, chiral NHCs and there have been few mechanistic investigations of NHC-catalyzed processes. This project will focus on the development of new families of chiral NHCs as ligands and catalysts. The different phases of the investigation include a) synthesis and characterization of new classes of chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes and the evaluation/benchmarking of these NHCs in established catalytic processes, b) exploring/validating carbene catalysis mechanisms, and c) studies geared towards understanding the structure reactivity relationships of new catalysts for the purpose of predicting and controlling the outcome of Lewis base processes. These advances will ultimately expedite the ability to synthesize natural products, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals with maximum efficiency and minimal impact on the environment. The development of new catalysts that promote high value reactions is a crucial enterprise that impacts a wide range of scientific endeavors with biological and pharmacological endpoints. The investigations to be carried out on this project will advance our knowledge of Lewis base and metal catalysis, as well as structure reactivity relationships that are the foundation of modern chemical science. These studies provide training for s diverse set of students and postdoctoral fellows. The expected skills acquired by graduate and undergraduate students driving these projects include advanced problem solving, chemical synthesis, and mechanistic organic chemistry/catalysis.