Transition metal-Uranium FLPs for the cooperative Activation of dinitrogen

The proposal entitled TRUFA (TRansition metal-Uranium FLPs for the cooperative Activation and functionalisation of dinitrogen) will be developed by the candidate at the cole polytechnique fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL; Switzerland, outgoing phase) and at the University of Seville (Spain, incoming phase) under the supervision of Prof. Marinella Mazzanti and Dr. Jess Campos, respectively.

The goal of the proposal is to develop cooperative transition metal-uranium functionalisation catalysts by exploiting a Frustrated Lewis pair approach. The isolation of transition metal-uranium bridged dinitrogen complexes would represent a fundament development in Inorganic Chemistry as well as provide access to a range of studies concerning the cleavage of the N-N bond and the catalytic formation of N-H and N-C bonds en route to ammonia and organonitrogen compounds, respectively.