Professor Russell Hughes, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Dartmouth College, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program to develop methods for activating normally inert carbon-fluorine bonds with transition metal reagents. The conversion of C-F bonds to either C-H or C-C bonds is one goal of this project. The impact of volatile fluorocarbon derivatives on atmospheric chemistry is substantial, and the ability to break strong C-F single bonds is an important component of this research project.
Replacement of chlorofluorocarbon chemicals as refrigerants and cleaning solvents is an important goal for the twenty-first century. Hydrofluorocarbons are an attractive alternative with favorable properties relative to the chlorinated analogs, and development of chemical transformations of carbon fluorine bonds is necessary to capitalize on the potential use of these chemicals. Training students in areas of chemistry relevant to global warming provides a work force that is better prepared for future planning with respect to environmental impact considerations.
