Transition metal (TM) chemistry has greatly impacted pharmaceutical and materials synthesis, and TM catalysis is nowadays entrenched in the area of synthetic chemistry, notably enabling Nobel Prize–winning reactions such as hydrogenation, metathesis, and cross-coupling. In the past, TM catalysis has typically employed well-behaved second- and third-row TMs. Now, first-row TMs are realized as advantageous due to their relative Earth-abundance, cost, and unique reactivity that is often defined by single-electron behavior. The unique reactivity of first-row transition metals has been known for decades;1 however, sophisticated study of these elements is historically challenging due to paramagnetism, single-electron-differentiated oxidation states, and the necessity for specialized analytical tools to studying at-metal chemistry.


Research in the Mills Laboratory is devoted to the use of Earth-abundant first-row transition metals as a platform for synthesis, catalysis, and the fundamental understanding of organic and inorganic reactivity. A particular emphasis will be placed on mechanistic study, as well as the application of physical organic and inorganic techniques to approach these problems from an at-metal perspective. Projects in the Mills Laboratory include cross-coupling of abundant feedstock chemicals, synthesis of new catalysts for C–H activation, and development of aromatic chelates for small molecule sensing. Please reach out to Dr. Mills with any questions!

References

1. (a) Tsou, T. T.; Kochi, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1979, 101, 6319–6332; (b) Tsou, T. T.; Kochi, J. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1979, 101, 7547–7560.