Latendresse Lab Research
Low-Valent Lanthanide Reductants
​The design of molecular systems that can selectively reduce very strong chemical bonds has widespread interest in areas of homogeneous catalysis, energy storage, drug design, and synthetic chemistry in general. Divalent lanthanide (Ln(II)) reagents are among the strongest and most versatile stoichiometric reductants available. While traditional Ln(II) reagents can reduce a wide variety of molecular substrates, the development of divalent lanthanide reductants that are catalytic and have even lower reduction potentials (ELn(II)/Ln(III) < –3 V) is an ongoing challenge. Our lab aims to use "non-traditional" Ln(II) ions in combination with unique supporting ligands to develop new, and potentially catalytic, lanthanide reductants. Along with accessing new reaction chemistry using the f-block elements, the proposed research is expected to challenge traditional paradigms of structure and bonding in the lanthanide ions.
New Strategies for Multi-e-/H+ Chemical Transformations
​The development of molecular systems that can facilitate the efficient multi-electron conversion of small molecule substrates (e.g. N2, CO2, CO, NOx) into their more reactive constituents has important implications in energy storage, environmental remediation, and accessing nature’s chemical feedstocks. The multi-electron nature of these transformations poses a significant energetic challenge due to the large reaction overpotentials that are often associated with stepwise electron transfer processes. Nature can achieve multi-electron transformations at ambient conditions by coupling electron transfer with the transfer of protons (net H· transfer), thus allowing for the bypass of high-energy intermediates altogether. As such, the catalytic active sites of biological enzymes are typically embedded amongst an array of redox mediators which are responsible for delivering multiple H+/e– equivalents to and from the site where small molecule activation occurs. Inspired by biological processes, our lab seeks to develop new, transition metal-based, systems that have two or more redox mediator functionalities embedded directly within catalyst the ligand scaffold. The colocalization of catalyst/redox mediator pairs could open new (and potentially more facile) pathways for delivering multiple e-/H+ equivalents to molecular substrates.​​
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Lanthanide-Ligand Multiple Bonds​​​
The synthesis and isolation of discrete molecules featuring a metal ion bound to substitutionally “naked” main group 14-16 ions (E = C4–, N3–, or O2–) has been of practical and fundamental interest to molecular chemists for decades. For the transition metals, the isolation of molecular TM-carbides, nitrides, or oxides has challenged traditional paradigms of metal-ligand bonding as well as informed areas such as small molecule activation and catalysis. In contrast, the corresponding chemistry of the f-block, particularly the lanthanides, is still in its nascent stage. Our lab aims to develop ligand scaffolds that can stabilize a range of [Ln-En–] bonding motifs while retaining synthetic tuneability. Expanded the library of tunable [Ln-En–] compounds could provide fundamental insights into f-element-ligand bonding while improving on the practicality of lanthanide-featured applications such as molecular magnetism, luminescence, and catalysis.​​​