Christopher J. Douglas
Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Catalytic Methods in Functionalizing Single Bonds to Carbon
Research
For many research chemists, creating and modifying bonds to carbon is a big part of the job.
The most ubiquitous carbon bond is the single -- or "sigma" -- composed of two electrons, one from each of two carbon atoms. But whatever the bond - and they can also be double, or even triple - carbon, thanks to its bonding talents, has a unique ability among the elements to "catenate" -- to form into long, relative strong chains of atoms. These atomic groupings - molecules - take many forms, including the basic building blocks of life, which is why chemists who explore carbon compounds are called "organic" chemists.
Cottrell Scholar Christopher Douglas and his associates are studying catalysts -- molecules that create or speed up a chemical reaction without themselves being affected - that can very precisely modify carbon atoms catenated with single bonds. He notes that most of today's sigma carbon catalysts aren't terribly precise.
"For example, petroleum-refining catalysts break down complicated, large hydrocarbon molecules unselectively into various types of simpler and smaller molecules used as fuels and feed stocks," he points out. "The problem is convincing a catalyst to conduct a useful molecular reorganization with high selectivity."
Ultimately, Douglas says he hopes to discover catalysts that react with single carbon-carbon bonds "in a mild and controllable manner, thus providing chemists with a new tool for constructing molecules such as medicines and materials."
Education
Douglas will use part of his Cottrell Scholar Award to attend an instructor's class in Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). His goal is to improve knowledge retention and reduce anxiety among his university's second-semester Organic Chemistry students. He intends to compare the effectiveness of POGIL methods - which include active learning in research situations -- with the traditional methods of the standard lecture course.
"I expect that my study will serve as an example for others, and help us better educate our undergraduates in synthetic chemistry," Douglas says.
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