Professor Alison Fout University of Illnois at Urbana-Champaign.  "Ligand influences on base metals for multi-electron transformations."  Woodward CCB Departmental Colloquium.Abstract: 

Multi-electron transformations featuring base metals are both particularly challenging and interesting. A series multi-dentate ligand frameworks containing both hydrogen bond donating and accepting moieties in the secondary coordination sphere have been synthesized and reactivity will be described. This work will highlight the dynamic bonding of the secondary coordination sphere and its influences on hydroxylation versus hydrogen atom transfer to an organic radical.

The use of an electron-rich bis(carbene) ligand on cobalt to mediate two-electron chemistry will be described. Here we have explored the parahydrogenation of olefins to be used as parahydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) transfer catalyst in ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and for developing contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging.