New Catalytic Transformations for the Synthesis of Alkenes and Organoboron Compounds

在化学系化学催化计划的支持下，华盛顿大学的Gojko Lalic正在研究合成有机分子的新反应。这项研究的目标是提供更有效的方法来制备精细化学品和药物中使用的复杂分子。拟议的新反应使用普通的起始材料，并将其转化为更有价值的化合物，利用地球上丰富的金属，铜和镍的催化作用，并注意开发有效的催化工艺。Lalic博士和他的团队围绕他们的研究开展了许多推广活动。他们与当地社区建立了牢固的工作关系，向中小学生伸出援手，促进他们对科学和技术的认识和接触。一系列广泛的活动，包括定期参加当地高中的科学课程，旨在接触科学代表性不足的学生，并促进科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学科的职业生涯。拟议的研究将探索两种新的有机反应。第一类将提供一个一般策略的区域和非对映选择性合成三取代烯烃。该方法是基于使用一个简单的导向基团，以控制区域选择性在加氢烷基化的二取代炔。第二类反应将为硼酸盐配合物的合成和活化探索新的策略。以往对硼酸盐配合物的研究大多依赖于有机金属试剂的化学计量反应来获得硼酸盐配合物。提出了由简单有机硼烷和各种不饱和化合物催化合成硼酸酯的新方法。拟议的研究还将探索金属催化剂既促进硼酸盐络合物的形成又激活其用于后续反应的转化。除了开发新的合成方法外，Lalic团队还致力于为有机金属配合物的基本反应性提供新的见解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Division of Chemistry, Gojko Lalic of the University of Washington is studying new reactions for the synthesis of organic molecules. The goal of this research is to provide more efficient access to complex molecules used in preparation of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The proposed new reactions use common starting materials and transform them into more valuable compounds, utilizing catalysis by earth-abundant metals, copper and nickel, and with attention to developing efficient catalytic processes. Dr. Lalic and his group have built a number of outreach activities around their research. They have established a strong working relationship with their local community, by reaching out to elementary and high school students to promote awareness of and exposure to science and technology. A wide range of activities, including regular participation in science classes at local high schools, are designed to reach students underrepresented in science and promote careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.The proposed research will explore two new classes of organic reactions. The first class will provide a general strategy for regio- and diastereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes. The approach is based on the use of a simple directing group to control regioselectivity in the hydroalkylation of disubstituted alkynes. The second class of reactions will explore new strategies for the synthesis and the activation of borate complexes. Most previous studies of borate complexes have relied on stoichiometric reactions of organometallic reagents to access the borate complexes. Proposed are new catalytic methods for borate synthesis from simple organoboranes and a variety of unsaturated compounds. The proposed research will also explore transformations in which a metal catalyst both promotes the formation of the borate complex and activates it for a subsequent reaction. In addition to the development of new synthetic methods, the Lalic team seeks to provide new insight into the fundamental reactivity of organometallic complexes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.