In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Dean M. Roddick of the University of Wyoming is developing new hydrogen transfer catalysts for the conversion of plentiful, but less useful hydrocarbon feedstocks to more useful olefin products. An extension of this research to the synthesis of highly valuable hydrofluorocarbons is pursued. Polymers with high fluorine content possess high thermal and chemical inertness. They are used in high-tech applications such as fuel cell membranes, synthetic lubricants, and microelectronics. In this project, catalysts for the production of these materials are being designed and optimized for several important processes. Dr. Roddick and coworkers introduce community college students to chemical research on the campus of Wyoming's only 4-year university through annual Structural Chemistry workshops. Extensive participation and leadership in the new state-mandated Science Initiative brings tangible benefits to scientific research and education across the state of Wyoming.
Diphosphine platinum systems are generally more active than well-established diimine catalysts. This work extends the use of platinum catalysis to palladium and nickel systems containing perfluorinated phosphine ligands. These species are being developed as as fluoroalkene oligomerization catalysts. DFT calculations on model palladium compounds predict energetically accessible fluoroethylene insertion barriers for M-R and M-Rf bonds. The calculations also support a general fluoroalkene oligomerization mechanism.
