Dr. Paul R. Sharp, Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri at Columbia, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program of the Division of Chemistry, National Science Foundation, for his work on the organometallic chemistry at the edge of polycyclic aromatic carbon compounds. Work will focus on the synthesis of group 10 (Ni, Pd, Pt) complexes and their use in the derivatization and synthesis of polycyclic aromatic compounds. The stability and reaction chemistry of 4-membered and 5-membered metallacycles will be studied. The Ni mediated synthesis of tetraphenylenes (including chiral tetraphenylenes) through 5-membered nickelacycles will be investigated and will be developed into a general catalytic method. Development of coronene and corannulene metallacycle chemistry will continue.
The prevalence of polycyclic aromatic carbon compounds across many areas of chemistry and technology supports a need for selective and general methods for derivatization and synthesis that the work of this project will bring. Fields where polycyclic aromatic carbon compounds are important or may play an important future roll include but are not limited to electronics (nanotubes, molecular wires, organic semiconductors), solar energy conversion (solar cells), medical research (fluorescent probes, carcinogenisis), and structural materials (composites). Thus, the chemistry described in this proposal has the potential for a large impact on our society. In addition, the undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates will benefit from training in both organic and organometallic/inorganic chemistry. Historically, approximately half of the graduates from the PI's laboratory have been women.
