Organometallic complexes for application in new chemical transformations and catalysis

海斯集团的研究重点是高能和活性分子的制备和研究，用于新的化学转化和催化。具体地说，我们感兴趣的是开发催化系统，将廉价和丰富的碳氢化合物直接转化为有用的有机化合物。这种衍生化对于甲烷等较小的碳氢化合物尤其可取，这些碳氢化合物在石化工业中作为不受欢迎的副产品产生，对温室气体有很大贡献。我们使用被称为磷化配体的分子来稳定具有不寻常几何结构和独特电子性质的高氧化态的后过渡金属络合物，以促进化学惰性小分子的激活。这类化合物的分离也应该提供关于成键和结构的基本问题的洞察，并有助于化学家用来设计新的催化反应的知识库。这些额外的知识最终将允许对目前的催化系统进行合理的改进，并开发全新的反应。

Research in the Hayes group focuses on the preparation and study of high-energy and reactive molecules for application in new chemical transformations and catalysis. Specifically, we are interested in the development of catalytic systems for directly converting inexpensive and abundant hydrocarbons into useful organic compounds. Such derivitization is especially desirable for smaller hydrocarbons, such as methane, which are produced as undesirable side products in the petrochemical industry and contribute significantly to greenhouse gases. We use molecules known as phosphido ligands to stabilize high oxidation state late transition metal complexes with unusual geometries and unique electronic properties to promote the activation of chemically inert small molecules. The isolation of this class of compound should also provide insight into fundamental questions regarding bonding and structure and contribute to the knowledge base used by chemists to design new catalytic reactions. This additional knowledge will ultimately allow for rational improvements to current catalytic systems and the development of entirely novel reactions.