Li, Chao-Jun. QUASI-NATURE SYNTHESIS: CATALYSIS IN AIR AND WATER
Department of Chemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118 (cjli@tulane.edu)
The use of metals and transition metals for mediating and catalyzing reactions is of growing importance in modern organic chemistry. These reactions are widely used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, petrochemicals, agricultural chemicals, polymers and plastics. The formations of C-C, C-O, C-N, and C-H bonds are of particularly importance. Organometallic chemistry and transition-metal catalysis are out-grown from dry-boxes where the use of inert gas atmosphere and the exclusion of moisture has been essential. Such a restriction undoubtedly imposes limitations in the application of these reactions in organic synthesis. In terms of synthetic design, various protecting group chemistry has to be implemented if there are acidic hydrogens in the substrates. In terms of actual laboratory practice, the solvent involved has to be dried thoroughly. This talk discusses some recent advances of metal-mediated and catalyzed reactions under ambient conditions of air and water.