In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Anita E. Mattson of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The Ohio State University is investigating catalysis strategies for the sustainable construction of complex target molecules. Specifically, new silanediol-based catalysts are being advanced for development in metal-free chemical processes. The broader impacts of this work include the discovery of strategies to synthesize valuable chemicals with less harm to the environment and the development of a training ground for aspiring chemists, including graduate, undergraduate and high school students, to acquire skills to help them grow into the next generation of scientific investigators. Local high school students and teachers are learning about the importance of environmentally benign catalyst systems through an outreach program developed by Professor Mattson. The information from this study can provide opportunities to make the syntheses of materials, medicines, and fine chemicals more sustainable.
Silanediols, a new family of metal-free catalysts, are under investigation as environmentally benign tools for the construction of pharmaceutical agents and materials. The approach relies on synthesizing and characterizing new families of chiral silanediol catalysts, probing how silanediol structure affects catalytic activity, and exploring the mechanism of silanediol-catalyzed processes. A variety of silanediol catalysts are being studied and correlations between their structure and function are being established. The most promising silanediols are under examination as catalysts for the syntheses of bioactive molecules.
