The Schrock Group Homepage
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCH
The approximately fifteen graduate students, postdoctoral students, undergraduates, and visitors in the Schrock group are involved in a variety of projects that vary from exploratory synthesis, to kinetics and mechanisms of catalytic reactions, to applications in organic and polymer chemistry. The chemistry usually involves heavier metals from the earlier part of the transition metal series such as Zr, Hf, Ta, Mo, W, or Re. An outline of the major areas that are currently active in the RRS group can be found below. A detailed description can be found here.
1. Multiple Metal-Carbon Bonds
This research involves the inorganic and organometallic chemistry of high oxidation state early metal complexes (especially those that contain an alkylidene or alkylidyne ligand) and studies of catalysis and mechanisms involving alkylidene or alkylidyne complexes, such as the olefin metathesis reaction. We are currently developing catalysts for asymmetric olefin metathesis, in particular asymmetric ring closing metathesis and variations thereof.
2. Asymmetric Metathesis Reactions
It is now possible to metathesize olefins with enantiomerically pure molybdenum imido alkylidene catalysts that contain a binaphtholate or biphenolate ligand that contains bulky substituents in the 3 and 3' positions. The types of reactions that we are exploring are enantioselective reactions in which a ring is either formed (ring-closing) or destroyed (ring-opening), and variations thereof. We believe that it will be possible, through appropriate catalyst design, to close or open rings of many different sizes asymmetrically, either in a kinetic resolution mode or a desymmetrization mode.
3.High Oxidation State Dinitrogen Complexes
This project is concerned with the chemistry of high oxidation state
dinitrogen and related complexes. The object is to create complexes that will bind and reduce dinitrogen in a well-understood manner, and ultimately in a catalytic manner. Much current research is concerned with the synthesis of new triamidoamine ligands and diamido/donor ligands that do not have some of the perceived potential disadvantages of the [(RNCH2CH2)3N]3- ligand (R = TMS or perfluorophenyl), namely those in which R is an ordinary aryl group. We also are developing the chemistry of Mo, W, and Re complexes that contain a [(RNCH2CH2)2NR']2- ligand.
4. Controlled Polymerization of Olefins
This project is concerned with the design and development of new Ziegler-Natta catalysts for the controlled polymerization of terminal olefins, especially living polymerizations. Studies can involve anything from the development of new catalysts, to kinetic and mechanistic studies, to the synthesis and evaluation of new polymers, especially block copolymers, made from ordinary olefins. We are currently studying catalysts that contain new diamido/donor ligands, such as [(MesitylNCH2CH2)2NMe]2-.
Other things contained in these pages:
- About Richard Schrock
- A list of present group members
- A list of past graduate students
- A list of past postdoctoral students
- A list of publications by R. R. Schrock, downloadable as
- An Acrobat pdf file
A Binhexed EndNote file
A Binhexed Word 98 file
This page was last updated 2/01
This web page created by Eric Schrock, copyright 1995.
All material within is the property of Richard Schrock. All Rights Reserved.
Any changes, updates, etc. that are required please email rrs@mit.edu