In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Amanda C. Jones of Wake Forest University is investigating improving the efficiency of gold-based catalysts by examining the chemical mechanisms by which they act. Gold catalysts are powerful and environmentally friendly reagents that can be used for the production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. The economic feasibility of their use, however, is dependent on the ability to use them in minimal quantities with maximum recycling. The mechanistic understanding being pursued by this project is crucial to achieving a high level of efficiency.
Professor Jones is examining the distinct reactivity of organogold compounds and the ability of cationic gold complexes to mediate addition reactions, transmetalations, and rearrangements via gold carbenes. The unifying theme is the current gap in information about the formation and reactivity of alkyl gold (C(sp3)-Au) intermediates. The approach is two-pronged and incorporates first the synthesis of organogold compounds and gold coordination complexes, and second, kinetic studies on those structures to elucidate mechanisms and improve future design of catalytic reactions. Development of a rapid-injection NMR apparatus will contribute to these studies by opening up the window of obtainable kinetic data. The project provides training for undergraduate and graduate students who will learn to execute chemical and scientific methods, conduct responsible research, and think critically about reaction mechanisms. Professor Jones is also developing reading clubs as a way to encourage early and life-long engagement with science. By exposing community members and elementary school students to novels with scientific themes, as well as the prose or biographical writings of "dual personalities," individuals who have achieved success in supposedly disparate areas (scientist vs. writer, artist, musician, activist), Professor Jones is working to cultivate positive attitudes toward science. These efforts contribute a non-traditional element to the recruitment of students to scientific fields.
