Professor Parisa Mehrkhodavandi
Other, Seminars
Description
Title: Cationic indium in catalysis: Generation of functionalized copolymers from commodity monomers
Abstract: Cationic indium complexes are rare in the field of catalysis. We have developed families of cationic indium complexes supported by tridentate and tetradentate aminophenolate ligands which show reactivity towards cyclic esters, cyclic ethers, and copolymerizations with CO 2. We show that, depending on ligand design, these complexes are excellent catalysts for the coupling of functionalized epoxides and cyclic esters to form orthoesters, for the controlled ring opening polymerization of cyclic ethers, and for the copolymerization of cyclic ethers and esters. Structure-function relationships and mechanistic considerations in each of these systems will be explored.
