SonBinh T. Nguyen, Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Northwestern University

E-mail: stn@chem.northwestern.edu
Phone: 847-467-3347

BS, Pennsylvania State University
PhD, NSF and NDSEG Predoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Scripps Research Institute
Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Young Investigator Award
David and Lucile Packard Fellow
DuPont Young Investigator Award
Union Carbide Innovation Recognition Award

Research Areas
The Nguyen group uses organometallic chemistry as a vehicle to propagate the development of new reactions in organic synthesis and novel materials in polymer science. In return, organic synthesis and polymer chemistry provide exciting mechanistic problems and synthetic challenges to further the evolution of organometallic chemistry. In exploring the synergistic relationship among these three areas, they seek not only to understand the fundamental chemistry occurring at the molecular level but also to apply that knowledge to the construction of useful synthetic intermediates and novel macromolecular materials.

They are interested in the development of new transition metal catalysts to effect the efficient construction of important organic intermediates. In one aspect of this project, hetero-cycles such as furans, carbonates, and lactones can be obtained from olefins, epoxides, and CO. Another important problem is the controlled synthesis of epoxides, aziri dines, and cyclopropanes by transferring small functional groups to olefins. These reactions, if carried out both catalytically and stereoselectively, hold enormous potential in synthetic chemistry.

Their interest in inorganic and organometallic chemistry is at the center of several projects. In one, they are carrying out fundamental investigation of cationic metal complexes for the polymerization of epoxides, olefins, and carbonates. Another project involves the development of Lewis-acidic metal alkoxides as catalysts for the hydrogenation of ketones and imines. A third project focuses on the use of bimetallic catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons.

In the area of polymer science, the Nguyen group is making new and useful materials. For example, the catalytic coupling chemistry described above can also be applied to the syntheses of polyethers, polycarbonates, and polyamides. Another project involves the use of living polymerization techniques to create novel polymer architectures possessing magnetic, electrical, and optical properties. They are also interested in conjugated polymers with transition metals in the backbone as a new class of materials that bridges the realms of organic conjugated polymers and metals.

Related Publications
"Hybrid Nanoparticles with Block Copolymer Shell Structure" [with K. J. Watson, J. Zhu, and C. A. Mirkin], J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121:462-63 (1999).

"Synthetic, Kinetic, and Thermo chemical Investigations of Phosphine Ligand Substitution Reactions in trans-(PR3)2Cl2Ru = CH-CH = CPh2 Complexes" [with M. Cucullu, C. Li, S. P. Nolan, and R. H. Grubbs], Organometallics 17:5565-68 (1998).

"Utility of a Ruthenium Metathesis Catalyst for the Preparation of End-Functionalized Polybutadiene" [with M. A. Hillmyer and R. H. Grubbs], Macromolecules 30:718-21 (1997).

"Well-Defined Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts: Mechanism and Activity" [with E. L. Dias and R. H. Grubbs], J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119:3887-97 (1997).

"Reactions of Ruthenium Car benes of the Type (PPh3)2(X)2Ru = CH-CH = CPh2 (X = Cl and CF3COO) with Strained Acyclic Olefins and Functionalized Olefins" [with Z. Wu, R. H. Grubbs, and J. W. Ziller], J. Am. Chem. Soc. 117:5503-11 (1995).