Inorganic Seminar - Alison Fout

The Inorganic Seminar Series presents: Alison Fout

Texas A&M

Hosts: Mike Rose and Kami Hull

Title: Strategic Ligand Design for Challenging Multi-Electron Transformations on First-Row Transition Metals

Location: WEL 2.122

Refreshments served at 3:15pm

Harnessing the multi-electron reactivity of first-row transition metals is a fundamental challenge in synthetic chemistry. This presentation details our approach to unlocking difficult transformations on earth-abundant metals through strategic ligand design. First, we address the reduction of kinetically inert oxyanions—potent groundwater contaminants traditionally resistant to redox processes. Inspired by metalloenzymes, we developed homogeneous iron complexes that utilize secondary coordination sphere interactions to enhance metal center reactivity, enabling the selective reduction of diverse oxyanions under mild conditions. Second, we address the challenge of promoting well-defined two-electron mechanisms on late first-row transition metals. By synthesizing novel, electron-rich bis(carbene) pincer complexes of iron, cobalt, and nickel, we systematically explored oxidative addition and reductive elimination pathways. These targeted modifications to the primary coordination sphere yielded highly effective iron and nickel catalysts for new C-C bond formation. Ultimately, these distinct projects illustrate how tailoring both primary and secondary coordination environments can overcome significant kinetic and mechanistic hurdles in base-metal catalysis.