Physical organic chemistry as a tool for catalyst design and development

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Matthew S. Sigman, Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Catalyst discovery and development often rely on empirical observations and chemical intuition. By using physical organic methods to study catalytic mechanisms, new design principles can lead to non-intuitive catalyst structures and more effective catalysts. As a case study, the design and development of new palladium catalysts for aerobic oxidations of organic substrates based on insight gained through mechanistic studies will be discussed.