Non-precious metal catalysts for reduction of challenging unsaturated molecules

Faculty Development Competitive Research Grants 2020-2022

This research proposal is aimed at the preparation of novel non-precious metal pincer catalysts, including systems with MLC reactivity, for hydrosilylation, hydroboration and (transfer) hydrogenation of challenging unsaturated molecules, such as N-heterocycles, nitriles, carboxamides, organic nitro compounds and carbon dioxide. Catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide is relevant to the production of chemical feedstock and liquid fuels from alternative carbon sources, whereas the focus on catalytic reduction of N-heterocycles, nitriles, carboxamides and nitro compounds stems from the importance of these processes as economical and environmentally benign approaches to synthetically useful amines relevant to chemical, agrochemical, materials and life science industries.