Abstract: Photoredox catalysis has continued to gain attention for its ability to perform previously unachieved reactivity in the fields of renewable fuels and organic synthesis. In general, photoredox systems offer a potentially sustainable route to drive single-electron transfers to activate a secondary catalyst for small molecule activations and bond forming reactions. Our group have developed a photoredox system with secondary nickel catalysts capable of C-C, C-N, and N-N bonds.

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Abstract: Nanoporous materials, such as MOFs, COFs, and discrete nanocages, are increasingly targeted as tunable supports for molecular electrocatalysts. The pores of these materials provide new opportunities for tuning catalytic activity but also raise challenging mechanistic questions since the confined pore environment must rearrange to accommodate the movement of charge during electrocatalytic processes. This talk will describe the development of porphyrin-walled nanocages as soluble model structures for examining how nanoconfined environments respond to redox changes.

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.

Abstract: Synthesizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as nanoparticles is critical for their large-scale processability in real-world technologies and is poised to alter wide-ranging MOF behaviors, especially those related to transport phenomena. Little is known about controlled synthetic techniques, however, and studies into the impact of nanosizing have only just begun.