Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

A long-term objective of my research program has always focused on the identification of new reactivity for carbon with the aim to produce either new materials or to identify new reactivity for this element. We have identified unprecedented reactivity for key components important in a variety of catalytic systems. We have also identified new chemistry for some of the smallest containing molecules/ions such as a reaction between cyanide and carbon dioxide. The product of this reaction is implicated in the reaction responsible for ripening fruit and the complex, [NC-CO2]- is one of the most fragile molecules ever isolated. This current proposal aims to build off these successes with new research themes that have revealed themselves in the past 1.5 years. We have identified three research projects that have evolved from our research theme of reactivity of small reactive organic cations. The objective of our current research program is a systematic development of the chemistry of extremely reactive organic molecules previously identified as only transient species. These reactive molecules are charged and thus, they can react with the variety of chemical reagents resulting in either new bonding for organic molecules, or new materials. Some of the smallest carbon-containing molecules are alkynes and these contain carbon-carbon triple bonds. Another class of reactive carbon molecules, albeit rarer, are carbocations. We have isolated and characterized an unprecedented example of an ion that contains both a triple bond and a carbocation within a small molecule. We have found that this molecule is thermally sensitive, highly reactive, and in some reactions, capable of breaking strong bond generally regarded as strong. We plan to use this molecule to prepare a variety of molecules that may either behave as new catalysts or impart a previously unexplored functional group into a molecule. We have a detailed plan to use this class of molecule as a probe of new reactivity, and as a scaffold to prepare ligands for catalysis. These projects will lead to new chemistry for extremely small carbon-containing molecules/ions, and the students working on them will learn skills important to Canadian society. The students working on the projects described in this application will develop strong skills in working with small reactive molecules and they will use them to prepare new ligands for potential applications in, for example, pharmaceutical, polymer, and small-molecule chemistry. The students will be trained in a diverse research group and we will focus on transferable skills to prepare them for careers in chemical industry, education, medical fields, and entrepreneurial activities. All students will be encouraged to focus on broad learning. Collaboration with faculty and researchers in other disciplines and with potential industry partners will be a key feature of the program. These aspects all help to develop a strong sense of project ownership.