The Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports research in the area of potential new catalysts for chemical transformations. In this project Kenneth J. Takeuchi of The State Universsity of New York at Buffalo will investigate the synthesis and properties of several new series of ruthenium coordination compounds which may be potential catalysts for the oxidation of inorganic and organic substrates as well as possible model compounds for metal oxide surfaces, which are used as heterogeneous catalysts in many important industrial processes. Several new families of oxoruthenium(IV) complexes will be synthesized with various auxiliary ligands such as tertiary phosphines, cyclopentadienyl, macrocycles (for example, bis?{difluoro}dioximato!) and a (clathrochelate)cobalt ligand. The kinetics and mechanisms of organic and inorganic substrate oxidation reactions with these compounds behaving as stoichiometric or catalytic reagents will be studied. The steric and hydrophobic effects of the auxiliary ligands on these reactions will be assessed.
