Dr. Joseph O'Connor, Chemistry Department, University of California - San Diego, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division for an investigation of the synthesis, structural elucidation, and mechanistic aspects of the formation and reactions of metallacyclobutene complexes. A metallacyclobutene-vinylcarbene interconversion appears to play an important role in the chemistry of these species. Consequently, the factors that control the stability of the metallacyclobutenes will be studied by computational chemistry and the epimerization and acid-base chemistry of the interconversion will be investigated experimentally. New routes to metallcyclobutenes will be developed employing reactions of metal carbene complexes with diazoalkynes and thermolysis of cobalt cyclobutenes will be explored as a route to cyclopropenes. Catalytic chemistry based on pallacyclobutenes will be investigated. In addition to uncovering new synthetic approaches to and applications of these complexes, the proposed studies will address stereocontrol of their synthesis and reactions.
This project involves investigations of the preparation and reactivity of a class of organometallic compound known as metallacyclobutenes. The examples of interest for these studies contain late transition elements. The major objective is the development of a mechanistic understanding of reactions that may find use in synthetic and catalytic organic chemistry. As such, the new methods will be valuable to the preparation of pharmaceuticals. The project will serve to educate and train undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral student.
