CAS: Synthetic and Mechanistic Studies of Nickel-Catalyzed 1,2-Dicarbofunctionalization of Alkenes

在化学系化学合成和化学催化项目的支持下，斯克里普斯研究所的Keary Engle教授和匹兹堡大学的Peng Liu教授正在研究新化学反应的发展，以简化有价值化合物的生产，包括药用相关化合物，农用化学品和功能材料。正在研究的反应同时连接三个广泛使用的原料化学品使用地球丰富的镍催化剂。这个合作项目结合了实验、计算和机器学习的见解，以确定最佳的镍催化剂，将烯烃（含有碳-碳双键（C=C）键的原料分子）连接到两个额外的构建块上，以快速构建分子复杂性。恩格尔教授、刘教授及其研究团队亦正领导协同外展活动，以促进不同人群参与STEM学科。这些努力包括开发虚拟现实技术，在课堂和当地社区教授化学概念，创建开放式在线数据库和短期课程，以分享计算有机化学的专业知识，并让来自历史上代表性不足的群体的本科生和高中实习生参与合作研究经验。这些连接化学合成和化学催化项目的活动有助于提高化学工业的可持续性和创新性，同时提高美国的技术劳动力。由贱金属催化剂促进的多组分反应是结合效率和可持续性优势的联合收割机。恩格尔教授和刘教授正在开发镍催化的三组分交叉偶联反应，以联合烯烃，有机卤化物和有机金属试剂。这些转化的产物结构复杂，包含一个或多个立体中心，并自然映射到在学术界和工业界有用的化学亚结构上。这个合作研究项目利用了Engle实验室在实验有机金属化学方面的专业知识和Liu实验室在计算有机化学方面的专业知识，研究反应机理，设计用于不对称诱导的手性配体，并从计算机描述符中预测催化剂的物理性质。这些活动为研究生、本科生和高中生提供了前沿的跨学科培训，他们正在从两个PI学习，并与两个机构的两个研究小组合作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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 Synthesis and Chemical Catalysis Programs in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Keary Engle of The Scripps Research Institute and Professor Peng Liu of the University of Pittsburgh are studying the development of new chemical reactions to streamline the production of valuable compounds, including medicinally relevant compounds, agrochemicals, and functional materials. The reactions that are being studied simultaneously connect three widely available feedstock chemicals using earth abundant nickel catalysts. This collaborative project is combining insights from experiment, computation, and machine learning to identify optimal nickel catalysts that attach alkenes (feedstock molecules that contain a carbon–carbon double bond (C=C) bond) to two additional building blocks to rapidly build molecular complexity. Professor Engle, Professor Liu and their research teams are also leading synergistic outreach activities to promote engagement with STEM disciplines among diverse populations. These efforts include developing virtual reality technology to teach chemical concepts in the classroom and in the local community, creating open-access online databases and short courses to share know-how in computational organic chemistry, and involving undergraduate and high school interns from historically underrepresented groups in collaborative research experiences. These activities that bridge the Chemical Synthesis and Chemical Catalysis programs are helping to improve the sustainability and innovation of the chemical industry while advancing the technical workforce of the United States.Multicomponent reactions promoted by base metal catalysts are important processes that combine the advantages of efficiency and sustainability. Professor Engle and Professor Liu are developing nickel-catalyzed, three-component, cross-coupling reactions to unite alkenes, organohalides, and organometallic reagents. The products of these transformations are structurally complex, contain one or more stereocenters, and naturally map onto to chemical substructures that are useful in academia and industry. This collaborative research project leverages the combined expertise of the Engle lab in experimental organometallic chemistry and the Liu lab in computational organic chemistry to study reaction mechanisms, design chiral ligands for asymmetric induction, and predict catalyst physical properties from in silico descriptors. These activities are providing cutting-edge interdisciplinary training for a diverse group of graduate, undergraduate, and high school students who are learning from two PIs and engaging with two research groups at two institutions.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.