Clusters as Shape-Shifter Ligands for Cooperative Catalysis

This proposal uses synthetic chemistry to develop a novel family of sustainable catalysts based on inexpensive and abundant elements.Up to 90% of chemical products manufactured require the use of catalysts, making catalysts crucial to how all modern commodities are made, from pharmaceuticals and pesticides to electronics and plastics. Catalysts often rely on the reactivity of expensive and rapidly depleting metals, such as Rh, Ir, and Pt. First-row transition metals (e.g., Fe, Ni) and main group elements (e.g., B, Al) are sustainable alternatives with costs up to 10 000 times cheaper. Individually, they are not competitive, but these elements can cooperate to create systems that are greater than the sum of their parts. We will build cooperative catalysts with these elements anchored on dynamic clusters, a fresh approach that will overcome barriers in the field. Three objectives will be met:-Synthesize a new family of cooperative catalysts with main group and 3d metal moieties anchored onto dynamic cluster platforms.-Catalyze two high-value synthetic transformations: olefin functionalization and CO utilization.- Understand the mechanism of catalytic transformations and cluster dynamics.This cohesive and innovative project provides synthetic science with novel tools to make everyday molecules, and feeds into the European Commissions’ priority area ‘A European Green Deal’.Dr Wenger has an outstanding track-record for his early career stage and a rapidly growing international reputation. He has demonstrated the necessary skills to deliver this project in a timely manner, and with the support of a MSCA fellowship, he will gain additional valuable skills in catalytic and kinetic science, spectroscopy, and computational chemistry, while building robust long-term collaborations across Europe. This fellowship will be a launchpad in Dr Wenger’s academic and personal development, and be instrumental in allowing him to establish his own independent research career.