Organometallic chemistry using macrocylic pincer ligands: making and breaking C-C bonds through rings, Catalysis utilizing iron-boron cooperativity and Making simple complexes for complex systems

Organometallic chemistry using macrocylic pincer ligands: making and breaking C-C bonds through rings

Adrian B. Chaplin commenced his independent research career at the University of Warwick in October 2011 as a Royal Society University Research Fellow, where he was subsequently promoted to his current position as a Reader in 2020. He was awarded the RSC Harrison-Meldola Memorial Prize in 2015. Preceding this appointment at Warwick, he completed 4 years of postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford (Andrew Weller), holding the R. J. P. Williams Junior Research Fellowship at Wadham College for 2 years. Chaplin recieved his PhD in 2007 from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland (Paul Dyson) and carried out his undergraduate studies at Massey University, New Zealand.

Catalysis utilizing iron-boron cooperativity

The development of predictable iron catalysis using well-defined catalyst systems offers the prospect to explore exciting and unique chemical reactivity that is not observed with precious metal catalysts. Our research focuses on developing the tools necessary to enable predictable iron catalysis using well-defined complexes centred on sigma-accepting group-13-based ligands. These systems active element-H bonds via cooperative oxidative addition pathways. 

Making simple complexes for complex systems

Our current interests lie in understanding how weak interactions can be used to create and complement catalysts that work under biological conditions or to make systems that have complex functions. Our aim is to underpin these with simple quantitative mechanistic models to explain or predict properties. Current lines of enquiry include solvent effects on reactivity, catalysis by cages and simple coordination complexes, and transmembrane signalling systems. This talk will describe how we have been making and using complexes that catalyse simple reactions. One aim is to compete with biological catalysts, although we have some way to go to compete with their extraordinary efficiency. A complementary use is to ignore the form of biology and to create ensembles that function in similar ways to biological systems, but using artificial components.  In particular, we are aiming to make systems that can transmit information across bilayer membranes in a similar way to cell signalling pathways.