Members of the Long Research Group, a Department of Chemistry lab headed by Associate Professor Brian Long, published an article titled “An η3‐Bound Allyl Ligand on Magnesium in a Mechanochemically Generated Mg/K Allyl Complex” in the German Chemical Society’s journal Angewandt Chemie.
Members of the research group focus on the use of organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, organometallic design, and polymer science to design and create advanced polymeric materials and to develop and study next-generation polymerization catalysts.
The group’s article concentrates on the mechanochemical synthesis of a magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) allyl complex.
“Mechanochemistry has emerged as an intriguing synthetic method that utilizes mechanical force or energy to drive reactions in a simplified and solvent free manner,” said Alicia Doerr, a graduate teaching assistant with the Long Research Group.
The study was done in conjunction with the Hanusa Research Group at Vanderbilt University.
“Through use of this synthetic technique, the Hanusa Research Group was able to access a unique Mg/K allyl complex that could not be accessed by conventional solution-based synthetic techniques,” Doerr said. “We evaluated the polymerization activity of these catalysts for a variety of monomers and found that they are particularly active for the polymerization of methyl acrylates. This collaboration combines the classic inorganic expertise of the Hanusa Research Group with the polymer chemistry expertise of the Long Research group to obtain and study this unique catalyst system.”