Alkylperoxide and Fluoromethyl Compounds of the Groups 2 and 12 Metals: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity

With the support of the Chemical Synthesis program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Gerard Parkin of Columbia University will study applications of Earth abundant metals, such as magnesium, calcium and zinc, to aim to reduce the chemical industry's reliance on the use of precious metals in catalysis. Another important aspect of the research is that it will involve training students to be future professionals, be it in an academic or industrial setting. This effort will include graduate and undergraduate students. Additionally, the project will involve high school students and provide a rich science experience for them at a critical point in their education. The activities within the research group will also involve performing chemistry demonstrations for children from ethnically diverse New York City public middle schools. The investigation will focus on the synthesis, structural characterization, and reactivity of alkylperoxide, hydroperoxide and fluoromethyl compounds of the Groups 2 and 12 metals. The research concerned with alkylperoxide and hydroperoxide compounds is of significance due to the importance of being able to introduce oxygen into organic molecules, while the research concerned with fluoroalkyl compounds is of importance due to the fact that fluorine is distinctly different from other halogens, and its presence is a beneficial feature in a wide array of both agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. As such, there is much interest in discovering approaches to introduce fluorine-containing groups into organic molecules, and developing the reactivity of fluoromethyl metal complexes will provide a means to achieve this objective. The research will involve the use of single crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopic methods to determine the structures of the synthesized molecules, and computational methods to analyze the bonding. 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.