Jan 26
Chemistry Department Seminar: Courtney Roberts, University of Minnesota
"Access to “Inaccessible” Arynes and Redox Chemistry Using Transition Metals"
Research in the Roberts group involves looking at unsolved problems in organic synthesis through the perspective of organometallic/inorganic chemistry. One main area of interest for the group is the synthesis of heterocycles through benzyne (a triple bond in a benzene ring) intermediates. Despite their useful reactivity, a number of challenges still remain in the use of arynes including problems with regioselectivity and the synthesis of N-heterocyclic arynes. Using fundamental principles of Ni chemistry, our group is the first to be able to access previously “inaccessible” 5-membered heterocyclic arynes for the first time since they were hypothesized to exist 120 years ago. Another challenge in organic synthesis lies in alkyl–alkyl cross-coupling. This is due to challenges with intermediates in the catalytic cycle. Our group has pioneered the use of Group 3 metal catalysts supported by redox-active ligands to overcome
some of these challenges. Using 10 mol% of a Sc, Y, or Lu catalyst, alkyl coupling partners can be successfully cross-coupled for the first time using early transition metals. These improvements related to organic synthesis can only be accessed using inorganic/organometallic chemistry.
*This seminar counts towards the chemistry major seminar attendance requirement.