Note: ROSEI is cohosting this seminar with the Department of Chemistry.

Title: Transition Metal (Photo)Redox Reactivity: From Biomimicry to Catalysis

Abstract: The conversion of cheap and abundant chemical feedstocks into value-added products represents a grand challenge in chemistry. Transition metal centers are capable of binding and activating inert substrates, exploiting their redox reactivity to facilitate challenging bond breaking/making events. In this talk, I will detail my graduate and postdoctoral work utilizing transition metal complexes for the activation of small molecules. To begin, I will discuss the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of a range of FE/O2-derived intermediates, such as -superoxo, -peroxo, -oxo, and -hydroxo species, and describe their relevance to the active sites of iron-dependent metalloenzymes. I will then pivot to the reactivity of extremely oxidizing Ag(II) centers towards visible light-induced decarboxylation of oxidatively recalcitrant perfluoroalkylcarboxylates such as trifluoroacetate. The extension of this reactivity for electrophotocatalytic perfluoroalkylation of a variety of arene substrates will be discussed.