Dual station inert atmosphere glovebox for the preparation of group 4 and lanthanide complexes for catalysis

早期的过渡金属，如钛和镧系金属（在元素周期表的底部）是非常活跃的金属，已知可以促进具有挑战性的成键反应。然而，由于它们的反应性很强，很难处理，因此，它们作为开发新的工业相关催化剂的重要金属，经常被忽视。我们的研究小组已经启动了一项研究计划，正在开发一种新的易于变化的催化剂，酰胺络合物，可以从商业上可用的起始材料快速组装。到目前为止，我们已经确定钛和锆配合物在这些容易制备的体系中表现出无与伦比的选择性形成C-N键的反应性。C-N键的高效合成与制药工业直接相关，因为许多具有药用活性的靶分子都含有N.正在进行的工作继续探索这类配合物在C-C键的选择性催化合成以及从氮气制备C-N键方面的潜在应用。处理这些金属的挑战之一是它们与大气湿度和氧气的反应性。我们制造的化合物不能暴露在空气中。为了继续我们国际公认的研究项目，我们大约10名研究人员迫切需要一个手套箱。这个专门的盒子允许研究人员在非反应性（惰性）气氛下工作，例如氩气。我们可以使用这个手套箱，结合专门的空气敏感处理技术（Schlenk技术），继续开发这种新型复合物的令人兴奋的化学反应。不幸的是，目前我们没有足够的手套箱空间来有效地继续这些调查。确保足够的资金为实验室购买一个新的手套箱，将立即改善谢弗小组所有研究人员（本科生，研究生和博士后水平的学员）的实验资源。

Early transition metals, such as titanium as well as lanthanide metals (found at the bottom of the periodic table) are very reactive metals that are known to promote challenging bond-forming reactions.  However, because they are so reactive, they can be difficult to work with and as a consequence, they are frequently overlooked as important metals for the development of new industrially relevant catalysts.  Our research group has initiated a research program that is developing a new family of easily varied catalysts, amidate complexes, that are quickly assembled from commercially available starting materials.  To date, we have established that titanium and zirconium complexes of these easily prepared systems display unparalleled reactivity in the selective formation of C-N bonds.  The efficient synthesis of C-N bonds immediately relevant to the pharmaceutical industry, as many medicinally active target molecules contain N.  On-going work continues to explore the potential application of this class of complexes for the selective catalytic synthesis of C-C bonds as well as the preparation of C-N bonds from nitrogen gas.  One of the challenges of working with these metals is their reactivity with atmospheric moisture and oxygen.  The compounds we make cannot be exposed to air.  To continue our internationally recognized research program, our group of approximately 10 researchers urgently requires a glovebox.  This specialized box allows the researcher to work under a non-reactive (inert) atmostphere, such as argon.  We can use this glovebox, in combination with specialized air-sensitive handling techniques (Schlenk techniques) to continue developing the exciting chemistry of this new class of complexes.  Unfortunately, at present we do not have adequate access to glovebox space to continue these investigations efficiently.  Securing adequate funds for the purchase of a new glovebox for the laboratory will immediately improve the experimental resources of all the researchers in the Schafer group (undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral level trainees).