An Investigation of Multi-Electron Copper Reactions Using Redox Active Ligands

A catalyst is a substance that allows a chemical reaction to proceed at a faster rate than normally possible. Worldwide industry is dependent on catalysis to produce many products, such as plastics, hygiene products, and fertilizers. Precious metals like platinum and palladium are widely used in catalysis. These metals work very well due to their ability to accept and supply electrons (known as reduction/oxidation, or redox), but are rare, expensive, and often toxic. Copper is an inexpensive and nontoxic alternative that can be manipulated to exhibit electronic properties similar to those of precious metals. Copper already has a place in catalytic chemistry in the fi elds of medicine, synthesis, and materials science. Our lab binds copper to specialized ligands (a ligand is a molecule bound to the surface of a metal) to undergo redox chemistry similar to that of a precious metal. We believe that the large ligand MesDABMe will serve to support stable copper hydrides, which are reactive in organometallic transformations but are relatively unstable.