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 new alkene and alkyne metathesis catalysts and are exploring new approaches to catalyst synthesis. A detailed description (pdf file) can be found here. 2. Asymmetric Metathesis Reactions It is now possible to metathesize olefins with enantiomerically pure molybdenum imido alkylidene catalysts that contain a binaphtholate or biphenolate ligands. 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. A detailed description (pdf file) can be found here. 3. High Oxidation State Dinitrogen Complexes This project is concerned with the chemistry of high oxidation state dinitrogen and related complexes. We have been able to reduce dinitrogen catalytically with protons and electrons at room temperature and pressure with molybdenum catalysts that contain triamidoamine ligands substituted with hexaisopropylterphenyl groups. We are concentrating on steps in the catalytic that consist of the bimolecular replacement of ammonia with dinitrogen and the stability of compounds that contain the diazenido ligand, Mo-N=NH, since these have been found to be decomposed to MoN2 and hydrogen in unsuccessful catalytic reactions. A detailed description (pdf file) can be found here. 4. The Living Polymerization of Cyclic Olefins and 1,6-Heptadiynes The Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic olefins involves the synthesis of new initiators, in particular bimetallic initiators. We also are exploring new ROMP reactions such as the ring-opening of cyclopropenes and are especially interested in polymers that have high tacticity. Another area of concentration concerns the controlled polymerization of 1,6-heptadiynes and similar monomers to give polyenes with a single structure. A detailed description (pdf file) can be found here. |
Copyright 2001 Richard Schrock / The Schrock Group, MIT