Vanadium for Olefin Metathesis

Abstract: Olefin metathesis is a widely used synthetic method for the production of chemicals used in daily life, including plastics, household chemicals, agrochemicals, and high-grade fuels, including biofuels from renewable, sustainable feedstocks. The current production of fine and commodity chemicals via olefin metathesis relies exclusively on catalysts based on second- and third-row transition metals, such as Mo, Ru, W, and Re. The use of Earth-abundant first-row metals, such as V, will have a broad impact on society by providing less expensive, greener alternatives to existing methods. This, in turn, will make essential chemicals more accessible to consumers and decrease the human environmental footprint. Sustainability, low cost, and environmental preservation are essential, but not the only driving forces of our research. Thus, V-based catalysts can exhibit unique reactivity compared to second- and third-row counterparts. Specifically, V enables carbon isotope exchange directly on a target molecule containing terminal alkenes, which can be used for drug development. In my talk, I will give an overview of our recent progress in developing V catalysts for olefin metathesis.