Mindiola's research work entails the design and assembly of reactive metal complexes of early metals and their role in unusual transformations such as C-H activation and C-N bond cleavage reactions. He is also interested in novel catalytic processes mediated by reactive complexes containing metal-ligand multiple bonds.
Synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry of the transition and fmetals.
Metal mediated.
N2O reductions and synthesis and reactivity studies of group 10 metalligand multiple bonds.
Synthesis of low coordinate transition metal complexes and atom and group transfer reactions.
Synthesis and study of anti-tumor agents and investigations of their binding modes with purine bases.
- Catalysis
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Synthetic Chemistry
Our research program entails synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry and is focused on the design of novel ligands and complexes capable of mediating unusual transformations. Our group is interested in metallaradicals, especially systems possessing reactive, unsaturated, and electron-rich metal fragments. Students in my group engage in synthetic organometallic chemistry and develop familiarity with
techniques such as multinuclear NMR, EPR, magnetism, X-ray crystallography, IR, Raman, UV-vis and CV. Mostr of our work spans from early- to mid-transition metals. We also carry out fundamental chemistry in low-valent lanthanides and the actinide uranium. Compounds synthesized and studied during the course of these objectives are intended to challenge current archetypes of structure, bonding, and reaction chemistries. Most of our systems have been also explored with the aid of high level DFT methods.
One of our areas of interest is the assembly of low-coordinate complexes containing metal-ligand multiple bonds. For instance, we have discovered that -hydrogen abstraction can be readily induced by one electron oxidation. With this knowledge in hand and also realizing that early-transition metal alkylidenes are exceedingly nucleophilic, we have prepared low-coordinate titanium alkyldenes, imides, and phosphinidenes. Likewise, we have also prepared cationic as well as neutral low-coordinate, and high-valent vanadium alkylidenes and alkylidynes. These systems are highly reactive and are powerful polymerization and group-transfer reagents (Wittig-like reagents).
The second proposal consists of studying the relatively new field of low-valent lanthanide metals (in the 2 oxidation state). Such a project could yield mechanistic information pertinent to fundamental processes involved in reductions of organic substrates effected by common reagents such as SmI2. Typical reactions by these new systems include the reductive coupling, C-H activation, reductive C-C cleavage, and complexation of organic substrates which are important in many chemical transformations. We are also pursuing lanthanide systems containing terminal ligands such as imides and alkylidenes.
The third proposal describes the use of low-coordinate transition metal complexes as redox active sites capable of activating and cleaving strong nitrogen-carbon bonds in heterocyclic molecules. We are particularly interested in complexes composed of Nb and Mo. These reactions are important to many industrial processes, such as the activation and ultimate removal of nitrogen from fuel sources. Mechanistic details surrounding metal-mediated N-C bond cleavage are important to understanding hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) since the metal's role in promoting this reaction still remains uncertain.
Synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry of the transition and fmetals.
Metal mediated.
N2O reductions and synthesis and reactivity studies of group 10 metalligand multiple bonds.
Synthesis of low coordinate transition metal complexes and atom and group transfer reactions.
Synthesis and study of anti-tumor agents and investigations of their binding modes with purine bases.
