Boehringer-Ingelheim Seminar: Selective Catalytic Functionalization of C-H Bonds

Abstract:The selective introduction of functional groups at the positions of typically unreactive C-H bonds has been a longstanding challenge in catalysis. To this end, our group has developed practical methods for the catalytic functionalization of C-H bonds with main group reagents.(1-4) These studies have led us to a general strategy of installing a single transient functional group to form a range of products from one C-H bond functionalization reaction. This research has led us to seek next-generation catalysts for the functionalization of C-H in complex molecules, new classes of reactions for functionalization of these bonds, and new strategies, such as the construction of artificial metallenzymes to control the site at which such reactions occur.

This lecture will present recent directions of research in our group toward discovering selective reactions of both small and complex molecules with large and small catalysts. The design and selection, as well as the intimate mechanism, of catalysts and catalytic reactions for selective functionalization processeswill be presented.