This award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Professor Jack R. Norton in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University to facilitate the synthesis and manufacture of compounds of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. The rates at which zirconaziridine enantiomers interconvert will be measured and reactions of metallaaziridines with epoxides and aziridines will be developed. In addition, the one-electron chemistry of alkyl complexes similar to those that serve as precursors for olefin polymerization catalysts will be investigated. The electrochemistry of boranes and related alumoxanes will be explored in order to determine whether single-electron transfer is involved in catalyst activation by these compounds. The effects of small amounts of reducing agents on catalytic olefin polymerization will be determined.
New reagents and methods will be developed to better understand and improve the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and polymers.
