CAREER: Copper Catalyzed Oxidative Decarboxylative Coupling Reactions for the Direct Functionalization of Arenes

在这项由化学系化学催化计划资助的项目中，西弗吉尼亚大学的杰西卡·胡佛教授正在开发新的催化反应，通过氧化脱酸偶联反应从羧酸形成碳-碳(C-C)键。这种新方法使用铜催化剂将简单的羧酸和芳烃转化为与药物和生物分子相关的杂二芳基和卤代烷基芳烃。这项技术提供了对传统偶联方法的改进，包括用廉价和容易获得的羧酸起始材料取代昂贵、有毒和浪费的有机金属试剂，同时产生的废物最少。C-C键的形成是构建复杂结构的关键步骤，这一方法的成功开发将使制药和精细化工行业能够设计出新的、更有效的C-C键形成催化剂。胡佛教授积极参与本科生层面的研究和教育的整合，部分是通过让本科生参与研究实验室，部分是通过将研究实验和概念纳入本科生课程。该奖项还支持开发一个新的暑期项目，旨在将化学家、工程师和艺术家聚集在一起，朝着建立一个公共科学-艺术装置的共同目标努力。该计划的目的是在当地摩根敦社区内发起一场有意义的科学对话，帮助学生参与者在科学、人文和艺术之间以及与更广泛的公共领域之间进行有效的交流。

In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Jessica Hoover of West Virginia University is developing new catalytic reactions for the formation of carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds from carboxylic acids through oxidative decarboxylative coupling reactions. This new method uses a copper catalyst to transform simple carboxylic acids and arenes into heterobiaryls and haloalkyl arenes that are relevant to pharmaceutical and biological molecules. This technology offers improvements over classical coupling methods, including the replacement of expensive, toxic, and wasteful organometallic reagents with inexpensive and readily available carboxylic acid starting materials while generating minimal waste. The formation of C-C bonds are key steps in the construction of complex structures and the successful development of this methodology will enable the design of new, more efficient catalysts for the formation of C-C bonds by the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. Professor Hoover is actively engaged in the integration of research and education at the undergraduate level partly by involving undergraduates in the research laboratory and partly by incorporating research experiments and concepts into the undergraduate curriculum. This award also supports the development of a new summer program designed to bring together chemists, engineers, and artists to work toward the common goal of building a public science-art installation. The program is designed to initiate a meaningful dialog of science within the local Morgantown community, to help student participants communicate effectively between science, the humanities, and art, and with the broader public sphere.