Catalytic Coupling Reactions via C-H, C-C and C-N Bond Activation

美国国家科学基金会化学部的化学催化项目支持蔡教授的研究工作。研究过渡金属催化的偶联反应的合成和机理方面，涉及非反应性的碳-氢，碳-碳和碳-氮键。 本研究的第一个目标是开发和利用新的，催化的碳-氢偶联方法，直接合成复杂的有机分子。 该研究阐明了各种钌催化剂所表现出的分子机理。该研究项目的第二个目标涉及开发新的催化碳-碳和碳-氮键活化方法。 这些研究推进了催化键活化和官能化方法的基础知识。 由于从石化和生物质衍生试剂实现成本有效和环境友好的产品的巨大合成和经济潜力，此类反应具有根本重要性。 这些反应的产物在石油化工、精细化工和制药工业中具有重要意义。 研究工作培养研究生和博士后学生为高技能的美国化学劳动力做出贡献。 易教授从本地和区域学院以及国际上招收学生。面对石油化工使用带来的日益严重的环境污染，催化研究中心面临的最紧迫的挑战之一是开发新的催化工艺，以获得所需的产品，而不会形成浪费的副产品。 过渡金属催化的键活化方法，如易教授所描述的方法，在实现有机化学商品的节能和生态友好合成方面具有巨大的潜力。 易教授的团队研究了许多高选择性的合成方法，这些方法使用容易获得的醇底物，耐受各种官能团，并且只产生水作为副产物。

The Chemical Catalysis Program of the NSF Division of Chemistry supports the research efforts of Professor Chae S. Yi of the Marquette University to investigate the synthetic and mechanistic aspects of transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions involving unreactive carbon-hydrogen, carbon-carbon, and carbon-nitrogen bonds. The first objective of this research is to develop and utilize novel, catalytic carbon-hydrogen coupling methods directed towards the synthesis of complex organic molecules. The research elucidates the molecular mechanisms exhibited by a variety of ruthenium catalysts. The second objective of this research project involves the development of novel, catalytic carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bond activation methods from biomass-derived substrates. These studies advance fundamental knowledge in catalytic bond activation and functionalization methods. Such reactions are of fundamental importance due to the enormous synthetic and economic potential of realizing cost-effective and environmentally-benign products from petrochemical and biomass-derived agents. The products of these reactions are of importance in the petrochemical, fine chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. The research effort trains graduate and postdoctoral students to contribute to the highly-skilled U.S. chemical workforce. Professor Yi recruits students from local and regional colleges as well as internationally. Faced with growing environmental pollution from petrochemical use, one of the most urgent challenges in catalysis research centers is the development of new catalytic processes that give the desired products without forming wasteful byproducts. Transition metal catalyzed bond activation methods such as those described by Professor Yi hold tremendous potential in achieving energy-efficient and ecologically-friendly syntheses of organic chemical commodities. Professor Yi's group investigates a number of highly selective syntheses that employ readily-available alcohol substrates, tolerate a wide range of functional groups, and generate only water as the by-product.