Abstract: Olefin metathesis is a widely used synthetic method for the synthesis of chemicals employed in daily life, including plastics, household chemicals, agrochemicals, and high-grade fuels, including biofuels from renewable, sustainable feedstock. The current production of fine and commodity chemicals involving olefin metathesis exclusively relies on catalysts based on second- and third-row transition metals, such as Mo, Ru, W, and Re. The use of Earth-abundant first-row metal, such as V, will have a broad impact on society by providing less expensive and greener alternatives for existing methods. This, in turn, will make essential chemicals more accessible to consumers and decrease the human environmental footprint. Sustainability, low cost, and environmental preservation are essential but not the only driving force of our research. Thus, V-based catalysts can offer a unique reactivity compared to second-and third-row counterparts. In my talk, I will give an overview of our recent progress in developing V catalysts for olefin metathesis.

Bio: Kostya was born in Tyumen, a town in West Siberia, Russia. He obtained his B.S. in 2006 from Tyumen State University. Then Kostya moved to Moscow to work in a pharmaceutical company. After two years, he enrolled in the graduate program at Moscow State University, where he received his Ph.D. in 2012, working on synthetic organic chemistry for medicinal applications. Then he joined the group of Valentin Rodionov at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, to work on the synthesis of functional polymers and their use in catalysis. In 2015, he joined Richard R. Schrock at MIT (Noble Prize 2005) as a postdoctoral fellow to work on Mo alkylidenes and their application in olefin metathesis. In 2018, he moved to Florida International University as an Assistant Professor. Now he is a fifth-year Assistant Professor.