Prof. Dr. David Michaeli, Chemistry and Biochemistry, BYU Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, https://www.chem.byu.edu/faculty/david-j-michaelis/

Cooperative Catalytic Systems with Bimetallic Complexes and Peptide-Based Multifunctional Catalysts

Cooperative catalysis involves the use of multiple or multifunctional catalysts that bind, preorganize, and activate two substrates to achieve higher rates or unique selectivity. This approach to catalysis is enabling the development of new and more efficient chemical reactions by combining multiple catalytic pathways to achieve unprecedented reaction mechanisms. The development of multifunctional catalysts can also lead to new reactivity and selectivity by binding and preorganizing two substrates in close proximity. The Michaelis lab pursues two separate approaches to developing cooperative catalytic systems. The first seeks to discover and utilize bimetallic complexes that facilitate new reactivity via cooperation between the two metal centers. Recently we discovered that 2-phosphinoimidazole-derived monometallic and bimetallic complexes are efficient catalysts for a range transformations, including reactions that do not occur with monometallic complexes. Our second approach to cooperative catalysis seeks to employ bifunctional helical peptides as scaffolds for the development of two-catalyst systems. We have shown that substrate preorganization on a peptide scaffold can lead to enhanced rates and increased enantioselectivity. These combined efforts are providing new tools for organic synthesis that seek to enhance our current capabilities by enabling and accelerating cooperative catalytic processes.

This talk is organised by the Institute of Organic Chemistry.