[Seminar] "Kinetic and mechanistic understanding of oxidative addition and reductive elimination of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) complexes" by Prof. Jennifer Love

Speaker:

Dr. Jennider Love

Title:
Kinetic and mechanistic understanding of oxidative addition and reductive elimination of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) complexes

Abstract:

The catalytic functionalization of unreactive small molecules such as methane via C-H activation is a long-standing goal in organometallic chemistry. Late transition metals, such as platinum, have been shown to be quite effective in breaking strong C-H bonds. Recently, we have been exploring the feasibility of catalytic methane functionalization employing aryl halides as oxidants. Key challenges include the unreactive nature of Pt(II) toward intermolecular aryl halide oxidative addition, and the challenges with balancing the preference for Pt(II) versus Pt(IV) oxidation states. We have recently discovered Pt(II) complexes that are capable of intermolecular oxidative addition of aryl halides under ambient conditions.  We have also designed and developed new hemilabile P,N ligands that facilitate both oxidative addition and reductive elimination relative to more conventional N,N or P,P ligands. Notably, only the P,N ligands with significant steric bulk at phosphorus were capable of forming the strained chelates. These results will be discussed in the context of our ongoing efforts to catalytically functionalise methane.

Biography:

EDUCATION 

2000  Ph.D. in Chemistry  Stanford University (with Paul Wender), Stanford, CA, USA 

1994  B.S. in Chemistry  Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA   

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS 

2016  Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC  

2016  Senior Advisor to the Provost on Women Faculty, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC   2009 Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC      2003  Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC    2000  National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, California Institute of  Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA (with Robert Grubbs)