TJIM · Dehydrocoupling of Phosphine-Boranes: Mechanistic Studies, New Catalysts, and the Development of Novel Polyphosphinoboranes""

Current development of polymeric phosphine-borane materials prepared by dehydrogenation is hampered by higher temperatures required in the catalytic process and poor polydispersity exhibited in the resulting polymers. Furthermore, the scope of both catalysts and substrates is currently limited, which inherently restricts the potential material properties of target polymers. The development and exploitation of improved, highly active, catalysts, as promoted by in depth mechanistic understanding, is therefore vital for this promising field to progress further. The resulting materials will have significant potential for future technological applications, with a broad scope ranging from elastomers, thermoplastics, pre-ceramics, to lubricants.The proposal intends to bring Dr. Titel Jurca, a highly talented young Canadian, to the Ian Manners group at Bristol the UK to perform a combination of phosphine-borane coordination chemistry, mechanistic studies, and subsequent modifications to catalyst systems to facilitate the development of well-defined catalytic processes for the targeted synthesis of novel monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric phosphinoboranes. The combination of the expertise of Dr. Titel Jurca in main group chemistry, transition metal coordination chemistry, and catalysis obtained during his Ph.D. and undergraduate studies with that of his host, Prof. Ian Manners at Bristol, UK in main group polymers, dehydrocoupling catalysis, and polymer materials science will be vital to allow for the project’s ambitious goals to be tackled.""