Maisha Kamunde-Devonish, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Grinnell College presents “Inspired by Nature: The Synthesis of 1st Row Transition Metal Complexes for Catalytic Transformations” on Friday, October 25, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. in Anderson Hall 329.
For many years the catalytic performance of the metalloenzyme active sites within proteins at ambient conditions has inspired the development of compounds that mimic this reactive behavior. The ability of these intricate structures to bind to a variety of small molecules and drive chemical reactions with efficiency has led to a robust area of research in synthetic inorganic chemistry.
The interactions between the metal ions in these structures and their local environment is known to play an important role in their function. However, it is a challenge to replicate what nature does so well. In order to have a chance, it is critical to use the synthetic chemist’s toolbox to create models that will provide new information about the significance of the metalloenzyme environment to catalytic activity, then use that knowledge to create a diverse array of compounds with catalytic potential.