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Brian Popp, West Virginia University

Exploiting Earth Abundant Late Transition Metal Catalysts for  Classic and Not-So-Classic Organometallic Reactions

Host: Dr. Greg Dudley

Brian Popp
West Virginia University 
Popp

The research in the Popp group has been focused on the activation and functionalization of carbon feedstocks (e.g., CO2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4) and their derivatives. When beginning the research program in 2011, we sought to explore new strategies to better utilize these molecules, some of which are relatively inert, in chemical transformations. We have focused most of our experimental efforts on the reductive functionalization of alkenes with specific emphasis on reductive carboxylation with CO2. More recently, in collaboration with the Dudley research group (WVU Chemistry), we began exploring Reppe-type [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization with traceless alkyne surrogates such as vinyl sulfone to construct highly substituted benzene derivatives. This presentation will provide an overview of our group’s efforts to utilize earth abundant late transition metals as catalysts, showcasing examples in which the Popp group’s interdisciplinary expertise in the areas of organic, inorganic and computational chemistry led to important chemical insights into organometallic chemistry and catalysis.