Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

As a society, we are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of human activity and the dire need to develop cleaner technologies and to use our resources more efficiently. Baines is a world-renowned researcher in main group chemistry with a research focus on the synthesis and chemistry of the unsaturated derivatives of heavy Group 14 elements. The long term vision for her research program is to use her extensive knowledge and understanding of the chemistry of unsaturated Group 14 compounds to provide innovative solutions which address these important societal challenges. The proposed research can be divided into three themes. Theme 1: She proposes to synthesize ligand-stabilized silicon dications and ligand-stabilized binary germanium and tin chalcogenides and to examine the conversion of these simple complexes to nanomaterials. Theme 2: Two methods for the elaboration of ammonia to amines, reagents used in many areas of chemistry, will be examined. She will explore the insertion of alkenes into the NH bond of ammonia utilizing amido-substituted germanium or tin(II) compounds as catalysts. She will also investigate the reaction of doubly-bonded compounds of the heavier Group 14 elements with ammonia as a second method for the synthesis of functionalized amines. Theme 3: She will develop alternative methods for the synthesis of technologically important germanium and tin compounds which avoid the use of highly corrosive and toxic chlorine-based reagents. The vision is to develop industrially-relevant protocols for the processing and recycling of germanium and tin which are efficient and environmentally-friendly to ensure that these two important elements will be available for future generations. Hexacoordinate complexes of germanium and tin will be utilized as key intermediates and the synthesis and reactivity of several complexes of this type will be explored. The Baines research program will provide excellent training opportunities for students and the results will contribute new knowledge which can be used to address two important chemical challenges: how to derivatize ammonia and how to cleanly produce technologically important materials. Baines was awarded the Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany and the Montreal Medal from the Chemical Institute of Canada, both in 2016. She was a DAAD Scholar (Research Stay for University Academics and Scientists from the German Academic Exchange Service) at the University of Oldenburg in 2015. In the last 6 years, she has published 33 journal articles, 2 data reports and given 36 invited presentations including 4 plenaries. She has supervised 30 HQP, including several national scholarship winners. Her HQP have given 31 conference presentations across the globe. Over 90% of the students she has supervised are contributing directly to the Canadian economy as academics and professional chemists.