The Chemical Catalysis Program of the NSF Division of Chemistry supports the efforts of Professor Forrest Michael of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington to design and study palladium-based catalysts for the direct addition of nitrogen-containing functional groups to alkenes and dienes under oxidative conditions. Specific focus is directed towards reactions that generate new C-N bonds; minimize the formation of by-products; that are tolerant of air, water, and complex functional groups; that operate under mild conditions; and that are highly stereoselective. For example, reactions that result in the amination of dienes are explored, as well as a new classes of reaction predicated on the reaction of intermediate palladium allyl complexes with electrophiles. Additionally, the difunctionalization of alkenes is achieved via the catalytic ring-opening reactions of aziridines. The importance of mechanistic understanding in reaction development is an emphasis area. The synthetic tools developed in studying these alkene and diene additions allows for the synthesis of a wide variety of densely functionalized products from simple starting materials. The development of new, efficient metal-catalyzed oxidative amination reactions has significant applications in diverse fields including the development of new materials, the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other bioactive compounds, and the construction of new tools and probes for investigating important problems in biology and medicine. The potential control of regio- and stereochemistry informs the formation of complex and biologically-relevant compounds. Professor Michael implements Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) techniques to encourage content retention and analytical thinking in courses that he teaches. He also works with programs for gifted high school students such as the Research Science Institute and the Saudi Research Science Institute, administered by the Center for Excellence in Education, the Accelerated Progress Program at Garfield High School in Seattle, and the Gifted High School Program in Bellevue. In this role, he presents short lectures and demonstrations on the importance of and exciting new developments in modern chemistry and recruits these students into laboratory research.
Professor Forrest Michael of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington and his research group are engaged in chemical research to help develop and understand ways of building complex, biologically-relevant molecules. The research group investigates ways to incorporate nitrogen-containing functional groups to molecules that contain double and triple carbon-carbon bonds. Such products are important in the field of small molecule based medicine and chemical biology and thus, new methods for achieving such targeted molecules that are more efficient and reliable are highly desirable. This research project provides education and training opportunities for students at the high school, college, and graduate level, helping create a pipeline of new scientists.
