CAREER: Leveraging Early Oxophilic Transition Metals for Organic Synthesis

With the support of the Chemical Synthesis Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Liela Romero of Baylor University is developing new strategies for chemical synthesis using early transition metal catalysts. The unique properties of these metal complexes are selectively transforming oxygen-containing molecules into valuable chemical building blocks through uncommon, highly selective interconversions.

These activities are improving synthetic efficiency with applications across various industries. This program is also providing graduate students with training in synthetic chemistry and catalysis, while also creating new opportunities to incorporate concepts of catalysis into undergraduate curriculum. Further, Professor Romero is working to increase participation in hands-on chemical education through (1) organizing an instrumentation workshop for students and faculty at small colleges and universities in the region, and (2) developing and sharing educational resources to help educators better support visually impaired students within the chemistry community.

While decades of literature on zirconium hydrides have established their usefulness in organic synthesis, much of this work is stoichiometric in metal and carried out through multi-stage processes. Moreover, access to these complexes using conventional methods can require the use of aggressive reductants or harsh conditions. The Romero group is developing new strategies to generate and turnover zirconium hydride catalysts for reductive functionalization applications such as the conversion of esters to nitriles and the use of enones in allyl palladium chemistry.

By exploiting the innate properties of this early oxophilic transition metal, a variety of unconventional redox-efficient functional group interconversions are made possible. These studies are advancing the fundamental chemistry of group IV transition metals, expanding the utility of metal hydride catalysis, and developing innovative synthetic tools.

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.