This award to Steven Diver and Jerome Keister of the State University of New York at Buffalo has as its goal the investigation of the reaction mechanism of enyne metathesis in a collaborative effort between an organic and an inorganic chemist. The enyne metathesis reaction has emerged as a valuable synthetic method used in many fields of chemistry. Conjugated dienes produced by enyne metathesis, are broadly useful in organic synthesis and serve as building blocks for the synthesis of a variety of important molecules. Although alkene metathesis is well understood, enyne metathesis is not, so a detailed kinetic study of the intermolecular enyne metathesis is planned. The studies will use an infrared spectroscopic based kinetic method and a broad range of organic reactants to study how structure influences rate. Fundamental vinyl carbene chemistry will be investigated to support the kinetic studies through carbene complex synthesis and reactivity studies. It is anticipated that these studies will illuminate the reactive nature of vinyl carbenes.
Broader Impacts. Rigorous study of this synthetically useful reaction in a collaborative learning environment, involving an organic and an inorganic chemist, offers an excellent interdisciplinary training opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students working on this project will develop the skills to become independent scientists and learn to work in a team among research groups. It is further anticipated that these studies will make enyne metathesis more efficient for a broader range of alkene and alkyne substrates and will develop a rational basis for using the enyne metathesis reaction in many types of organic syntheses including natural products, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.
