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UID:20250907T143404EDT-1383uzgSkb@132.216.98.100
DTSTAMP:20250907T183404Z
DESCRIPTION:Abstract:\n\nProton-coupled electron transfers (PCETs) are unco
 nventional redox processes in which an electron and proton are exchanged t
 ogether in a concerted elementary step. While PCET is now recognized to pl
 ay a central a role in biological redox catalysis and inorganic solar ener
 gy conversion technologies\, its applications in organic chemistry have on
 ly recently begun to be explored. This talk will highlight our group’s eff
 orts to use PCET as a means to address significant and long-standing synth
 etic challenges in the areas of free radical chemistry and asymmetric cata
 lysis. In particular we are interested in the ability of PCET to enable ca
 talytic and chemoselective generation of synthetically useful radical inte
 rmediates via the direct homolytic activation of common organic functional
  groups that are energetically inaccessible using conventional H-atom tran
 sfer catalysts. Our approach makes use of a simple thermodynamic formalism
  to rationally identify combinations of proton and electron donors that ca
 n formally transfer hydrogen to form very weak bonds (BDFEs <25 kcal/mol) 
 and combinations of proton and electron acceptors that are competent to ho
 molyze strong bonds (BDFEs >110 kcal/mol). Moreover\, in PCET reactions th
 e radical intermediates are generated as hydrogen-bonded adducts with the 
 conjugate acid or base of the catalytic proton donor/acceptor. We have fou
 nd that these non-covalent associations can be strongly stabilizing\, prov
 iding a basis for asymmetric induction in subsequent bond forming events w
 hen chiral proton transfer agents are employed. Recent advances and applic
 ations of PCET in method development with a particular emphasis on reactio
 ns that can be driven out of equilibrium using excited state PCET events.
 \n\nBio:\n\nA native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley\, Rob received a B.S 
 in chemistry from the College of William and Mary in 2003. He went on to r
 eceive his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from Caltech in 2008 for his
  work on natural product synthesis in the labs of Dave MacMillan. Followin
 g his doctoral work\, Rob moved to Eric Jacobsen’s lab at Harvard Universi
 ty as a NIH postdoctoral fellow\, where his work focused on asymmetric cat
 alysis and new reaction development. Rob joined the Department of Chemistr
 y at Princeton University in the summer of 2011\, where his group’s work h
 as focused primarily on the applications of proton-coupled electron transf
 er (PCET) in organic synthesis. In 2017 he was promoted to Professor of Ch
 emistry.\n\n \n
DTSTART:20190903T170000Z
DTEND:20190903T183000Z
LOCATION:Room 10\, Maass Chemistry Building\, CA\, QC\, Montreal\, H3A 0B8\
 , 801 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
SUMMARY:Chemical Society Seminar: Robert Knowles - Proton-coupled electron 
 transfer in organic synthesis 
URL:/chemistry/channels/event/chemical-society-seminar
 -robert-knowles-proton-coupled-electron-transfer-organic-synthesis-299512
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