Transition Metal Organometallics in Catalysis and Biology

The course would cover application aspects of organometallic compounds in industrial processes with particular emphasis on various types of polymerization reactions that have had tremendous impact on society at large. The course would also highlight the importance of organometallic chemistry in biology in the form of bioorganometallic chemistry. In short, the course would provide a wholistic overview of the applications of organometallic chemistry in the dual worlds of chemical synthesis and biology.   INTENDED AUDIENCE : All of Chemistry and possibly some of Chemical Engineering students PREREQUISITES : Basic undergraduate inorganic and organic chemistry courses are pre-requisite to take this course INDUSTRY SUPPORT : BASF, Dow Chemicals, GE, Reliance, DuPont, BAYER and other petrochemical & polymer companies.

COURSE LAYOUT Week 1 : Reppe synthesis, Week 2 : Alkene metathesis reactions: history, development, classifications,mechanism Week 3 : Alkyne metathesis reactions: history, development, classifications, mechanism Week 4 : Olefin oligomerization reactions Week 5 : Olefin polymerization reactions: polyethylene, polypropylene Week 6 : Ziegler-Natta catalyst Week 7 : Other catalysts in olefin polymerization reactions Week 8 : Homo polymerization with functionalized olefins, cycloolefins, diolefins Week 9 : Copolymerization with functionalized olefins, cycloolefins, diolefins Week 10 : Non-Group 4 catalysts Week 11 : Bioorganometallic Chemistry, metal ions in biology, metalloenzymes Week 12 : Coenzyme B 12 , nitrogenase, urease and other relevant metalloenzymes