[header.gif] [cycle-banner-anim.gif] [left-menu-blank.gif] [left-menu-home.gif] [left-menu-gm.gif] [left-menu-research.gif] [left-menu-pubs.gif] [left-menu-tour.gif] [left-menu-photos.gif] [left-menu-webcam.gif] [left-menu-deptsite.gif] [left-menu-links.gif] Heinous Lee Friedman The focus of my research concerns using electron rich rhenium metal fragments to activate furans to electrophilic attacks. Recently, complexes of the type TpRe(CO)(L)(h2-furan) (Tp=tris-pyrazolyl borate) have been developed. [lee1.jpg] The L ligand can be pyridine, t-butylisonitrile, trimethylphosphine, 1-methylimidazole, or ammonia. The trimethylphosphine and pyridine complexes add both methanol and methyl vinyl ketone across the unbound double bond of the furan to generate 2-methoxy-2,3-dihydrofurans. Under similar conditions, the pentaammineosmium(II) complex of furan undergoes ring opening to generate the h2-bound vinyl ether/aldehyde complex. The trimethylphosphine complex also will react with ketals. The complex TpRe(CO)(t-butylisonitrile)(h2-2-methylfuran) will react with aldehydes in a similar manner to the corresponding pentaammineosmium complex in a reaction in which the aldehyde is incorporated into the dihydrofuran ring. The goal of this project is to explore the elementary reactions of these rhenium(I) furan complexes and compare their reactivity to that of the pentaammineosmium(II) furan systems. Also of great concern is the diastereomeric nature of the addition products and what factors determine the observed diastereoselectivities. Click here to view a summary of Lee's research in PDF format. Click here to go to Lee's personal home page.