Grant: Alliance Grants

Catalysis is an indispensable tool in our modern-day society and is crucial to the advancement of lifesaving drugs, materials, and sustainable technologies. In the continuing advancement of catalytic technologies, the use of organic molecules as catalysts, that is, organocatalysts is notable as they provide for green and sustainable chemistries. The use of these metal free catalysts is advantageous to enable chemical processes that are less hazardous to the environment and human health, while being more cost-effective. Moreover, these catalysts provide for new reactions not occurring in nature, and in many instances, offer excellent levels of selectivity and high product yields. In advancing this reactivity further chemist are growingly designing catalysts that mimic the action of enzymes. In this context, enzymes generally achieve catalysis inside large molecular clefts where the catalytic group machinery resides inside a confined space (i.e., the binding pocket), which is important for selectivity. To date, artificial catalysts prepared by chemist operating in a similar manner are rare. Hampering this area of catalysis are the challenges of creating shape-persistent artificial scaffolds bearing catalytic group(s) correctly oriented for achieving efficient levels of catalysis. In advancing this important area of enzyme mimicking catalysis, we have initiated a collaboration with Prof. Steve Diver at the University at Buffalo, USA. Through this international research collaboration, we are designing and preparing synthetic macrocycles containing imbedded N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) as catalysts for application in various chemical transformations. Notably, nucleophilic carbenes such as NHCs enjoy a "privileged" status and find use in many areas of chemical synthesis and catalysis. This research and the resulting synthetic macrocycle catalysts developed will allow for modulating chemical reactivity and selectivity in catalysis. Thus, creating new ways to control selectivity that is rarely possible in small molecule catalysts. Notably, this international collaboration - in addressing an important research challenge in the natural sciences and engineering disciplines - will develop novel synthetic macrocycle catalysts for various applications in organocatalysis. The collaboration will also provide fundamental insight into designing macrocycle catalysts, thus supporting the advancement of the field of catalysis. Notably, the findings of this work will further the overall strength and leadership role of Canada in the natural sciences. Lastly, through generating new catalytic technologies and highly qualified personal (HQP) this collaboration will positively benefit the future of Canada as a global leader with a highly skilled workforce.