CAS: Dinuclear Metallacycles as Intermediates in Catalysis

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis program in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Christopher Uyeda of Purdue University is studying catalytic reactions that will improve the efficiency and sustainability of chemical synthesis. There are numerous scientific and technological advances that rely on synthetic organic molecules.

For example, the ability to selectively deactivate a protein using a small molecule inhibitor forms the basis for understanding and treating human diseases. Molecules can also store or convert energy, allowing them to be used in devices such as solar cells and batteries. Often, the molecules that are required for these applications have complex structures and are prepared using lengthy synthetic processes.

A major challenge in modern chemical synthesis is to improve the efficiency and sustainability of these processes by reducing the number of steps that are required and the amount of waste that is generated. In this project, Dr. Uyeda will address these goals by studying transition metal catalysts that can rapidly generate complex molecules from readily available starting materials, ideally with little to no waste byproducts.

A diverse group of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers will be involved this research project. In the process, they will gain technical and non-technical training that will prepare them for future careers in STEM and STEM-adjacent fields. Outreach activities will communicate the impact that catalysis research has on society to a broad audience of other scientists, students, and the general public.

Additionally, mentorship activities are geared toward broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM professions.

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis program in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Christopher Uyeda of Purdue University is studying metal–metal bonds as active sites for catalysis. Metallacycles are key catalytic intermediates in many organic transformations, including cycloadditions, bond insertions, and rearrangements.

In this project, Dr. Uyeda will explore how dinuclear active sites can be used to access metallacycles with unique catalytic properties. The overarching goal is to use multiple metals to cooperatively activate substrates that are typically inert toward monometallic complexes.

Furthermore, the orbital symmetry properties of metal–metal bonds will be leveraged to control chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity in multicomponent reactions. This project will involve synthesizing new bimetallic complexes, studying stoichiometric organometallic reactions, and developing selective catalytic transformations. Undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers involved in this project will work at the interface of organic and inorganic chemistry.

They will gain a fundamental understanding of transition metal chemistry while learning to apply this knowledge to develop useful catalytic reactions. Results from this project will be communicated to a broad audience through review articles, seminars, and podcast interviews. This project will also support outreach activities that engage high school and undergraduate students, with an emphasis on retaining underrepresented students in chemistry.

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.