The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will be derived from the novel catalyst developed of the project. The project will, if successful, dramatically improve the efficiency and scope of a specific class of industrially significant chemical reactions which are indispensable for the manufacture of many useful products such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and electronics. The improvements, for example, will provide access to newer materials for the production of newer and improved related products to address unmet biological and engineering needs. The catalyst discoveries will also enhance the scientific knowledge base of both fundamental and applied catalysis science. The technical objectives in this Phase I research project are to develop a collection of novel and improved organometallic catalysts for industrially relevant cross-coupling reactions; and to address current unmet industrial needs for higher catalyst efficiency, selectivity and scope of these reactions. The Phase I research will involve detailed and innovative investigations of the current state-of-the-art catalysts; systematic and iterative design, synthesis, and testing of the new organometallic catalysts; and demonstration of improved performance of the new catalysts in relevant cross-coupling reactions. The catalysis knowledge gained from this Phase I research will enable catalyst design and development efforts in the current project for specific industrial applications. The development and commercialization of a collection of new and improved catalysts in this Phase I project will significantly expand the efficiency and industrial utility of cross- coupling reactions towards creating new products based on this chemistry.
