Incorporation of Fluorescent Dye Molecules into Molecular Scaffolds: From Molecular Sensors to Switchable Catalysts

Increased environmental and impurity restrictions on consumer products, also the desire to reduce the cost and energy requirements of chemical transformations, have established a critical need for the development of more selective and efficient catalysts. An attractive approach to addressing this need is the use of catalysts that can be altered through post-synthetic modifications. Several commonly employed methods to change catalyst reactivity post-synthesis include the manipulation of pH, photoactivation, or even changes in solvent. This talk will discuss the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of fluorescent dye-containing main group compounds that are capable of exhibiting a colorimetric response upon binding substrate molecules. This talk will also describe the incorporation of fluorescent dye-containing ligands into metal and main group complexes for switchable reactivity.
















Zachariah Heiden (Washington State University)