NSF Award
0953368
This project will continue the development of phosphorus-carbon bond-forming reactions. New catalytic reactions are proposed based on hypophosphorous acid and its derivatives, and on H-phosphinates to provide atom-economical processes. Specifically, these efforts involve a) P-H activation in alkyl phosphinates under transition-metal catalysis, including further developments of the palladium- and nickel-catalyzed hydrophosphinylations discovered in the principal investigator's laboratory; b) P-H activation in H-phosphinates; and c) phasing out phosphorus trichloride in the manufacturing of organophosphorus compounds, thereby reducing the environmental impact and energy-demand associated with chlorine usage through the catalytic preparation and use of H-phosphinates. H-Phosphinate derivatives possess an oxidation state in the middle of the range for phosphorus, and they can be derivatized into a plethora of other important functional groups.<br/><br/>With this award, the Chemical Synthesis program is supporting the research of Professor Jean-Luc Montchamp of the Department of Chemistry at Texas Christian University. Professor Montchamp's research efforts revolve around the development of methodology for the formation of P-C and P-O bonds under catalytic conditions. Such chemistry will contribute to environmentally benign methods for the chemical synthesis of organophosphorus compounds, which are important in the manufacturing of many products, such as therapeutic agents, agrochemicals, and phosphine ligands for catalysis.
