New Chemistry of Fluorocarbon Ligands

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Abstract

This award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Russell P Hughes, Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, in fluorocarbon bond activation by transition metals. Hughes is developing novel catalytic routes to convert chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Aliphatic C-F bonds in fluoroalkyl groups bonded to a cationic iridium center undergo facile reaction with hydrogen gas under ambient conditions, resulting in the substitution of a C-H bond for the C-F bond. The fluoroalkyl groups may also react with methane to make a new carbon-carbon bond. By further study, the scope of these important reactions will be expanded to new substrates and catalysts. Perfluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons are industrially important chemicals used as refrigerants, foaming agents and solvents. However these compounds also are implicated in ozone depletion and global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons have many of the same useful properties, yet are more environmentally friendly. This research may lead to new useful HFCs as well as provide a new way to deactivate and recycle PFCs and CFCs.