Dr. Robert J. Angelici, Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division (i) to determine the basicities of various metal complexes by measuring enthalpies of protonation using calorimetric techniques and a very strong acid (trifluoromethylsulfonic acid) in organic media, (ii) to understand the influence of the nature of the metal and the ligands on these basicities, and (iii) to examine the effects protonation has on promoting reactions of these metal complexes that might be useful in the design of new homogeneous catalysts.
The work proposed seeks to assess the basicities of several metal complexes at the metal centers which will prove useful to the design of new homogeneous catalysts and will provide invaluable thermodynamic data to other chemists. Several students and post-doctoral associates will be trained in the synthesis of many of the metal complexes and in the understanding of the thermodynamics and reactivities of compounds.
