Tag: David Tyler

Utilizing Shear Reactor Technology for Optimizing the Ozonolysis of Alkenes Reaction

Presenter: Ajay Ryerson (Chemistry)

Mentor: David Tyler

Oral Presentation

Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water” Oak Room

Concurrent Session 3: 1:45-3:00pm

Facilitator: Sheri Donahoe

Ozone is a great oxidizing agent because its byproducts are water and oxygen. Current ozonolysis processes are either slow or dangerous for large scale reactions though. The use of flow reactors is a new technology that solves these problems. We have developed a process for mixing ozone, water and an organic phase together to get our desired material out with little work-up or purification needed. We utilize the Sythetron shear reactor developed by Kinetichem to achieve this mixing. Current yields are comparable to those found in the scientific literature, but results from several experiments have shown that decreasing the volume of gas in the reaction will increase yields. We are very optimistic that once we have an ozone generator that can produce concentrated ozone we will be able a produce material at rates unprecedented in the literature, all while being easier to work‐up than any oxidative process to date.

Making a Catalyst in order to Study the Break Down of Plastics and Other Polymers

Presenter: Mollie Bello (Chemistry)

Mentor: David Tyler

Oral Presentation

Panel C: “Explorations in Chemistry and Water” Oak Room

Concurrent Session 3: 1:45-3:00pm

Facilitator: Sheri Donahoe

The break-down of plastics is an important area of research; however, the way in which these plastics break down is a very complicated reaction. In order to better understand the how different environmental factors play a role in this degradation, the Tyler Lab has synthesized very weak polymers (polymers are the building blocks of plastics). Simple polymers of this type have already been synthesized, which is why my project has been focused on making these weak polymers with a more complicated structure. In order to make this reaction work, a catalyst is needed. In order to use this catalyst, it needs to be synthesized. The production of this catalyst is where my focus has been centered. When the reaction conditions described in the literature are used, I have proven that a different molecule is formed. Going forward on this project, I want to discover why the catalyst is not being formed, and what I can change about my reaction conditions in order to make the desired product.

An Improved Route for the Synthesis of Phosphine Oxides Via the Alkylation of Phosphonates Through the Use of Grignard Reagents and Halide Scavengers

Presenter: Chase Salazar

Mentor: David Tyler

Oral Presentation

Major: Chemistry

An added improvement to the low-yielding reaction of phosphonates to phosphine oxides is shown. The use of a halide scavenger will increase the yield of the phosphonates to phosphine oxides alkylation from 20% to up to 95% yields by preventing a side reaction that is suggested to be caused by halides from the Grignard reagents. The large scope of substrates and excellent yields of the reaction makes it a pragmatic method for phosphine oxide synthesis as compared to the current method that requires harsh chlorination conditions with low yields. This high yielding adaptation to the alkylation of phosphonates to phosphine oxides offers a new synthetic route to the synthesis of asymmetric tertiary phosphines. Phosphines are highly used for coupling reactions in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and other specialty chemicals. This new proposed route is performed with bench top chemistry that has equal or higher yields to the current phosphine ligand synthesis that requires strict air-free chemistry techniques and hazardous work with pyrophoric materials. The new method allows for a simpler and safer synthetic route for phosphine ligand synthesis.

Drug Development with New Catalytic Molecules

Presenter(s): Maribelle Stanley − Pre-chemical Engineering

Faculty Mentor(s): David Tyler

Poster 18

Research Area: Chemistry

Funding: National Science Foundation grant CHE-1503550, UO Summit scholarship

Many drugs are produced by important chemical reactions which form molecules with carbon-carbon or carbon-nitrogen bonds. However, the variety of drugs that can be produced using these reactions is limited by whether a desired molecule is capable of being reacted. To make unreactive molecules react, a catalyst can be used. One common type of catalyst contains a palladium atom, which can interact with other molecules in order to form a catalytic molecule. The catalytic function of these molecules depends on how well the palladium can bring reactants together. The main goal of this research project has been to synthesize a suitable catalyst for these important reactions. Under Dr. David Tyler, and as a continuation of research conducted by Dr. Alex Kendall, novel molecules, called phosphines, have been designed, synthesized, and tested for catalytic behavior. Designing these phosphines required research into previously synthesized molecules published by other groups, and the synthesis of these molecules involved using “air-free” chemistry techniques to protect the sensitive reactants from oxygen. Testing for the presence of these molecules in reaction material was done by analyzing the structure of molecules, with two primary techniques: nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and gas-chromatography mass-spectroscopy. One molecule, called “S-Phos”, was successfully synthesized, and has been found to be catalytic; subsequent molecules are in the process of testing and synthesis. Developing new catalytic molecules can open the door to new varieties of drugs, providing better therapies to help people around the world.