Oleg V Ozerov
Professor
Ph.D., University of Kentucky
Contact
Information:
Department of Chemistry
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77842
Phone:
(979) 845-5870
Fax: (979) 845-4719
ozerov@chem.tamu.edu
The projects in our group typically involve transition metal or main group organometallic chemistry but are diverse and cover a wide variety of synthetic and mechanistic work. The ideal-case research scheme consists of: 1) discovery of a new reaction or a ligand environment; 2) demonstration of unusual reactivity, structural, or electronic novelty; 3) application of the findings to develop a new catalytic process.
We dedicate significant efforts to designing new chelating ligands, particularly pincer-type ligands and tripodal ligands. We are also interested in accessible highly electrophilic main group species (e.g., silylium cations) and complementary weakly coordinating anions.
A new reaction often involves a new way to break a challenging bond. We look for inventive ways to use transition metals to cleave C-H, C-X and other bonds of interest. 
Rigid chelating ligands are used in our group to support structurally unusual molecules: hypercoordinate main group complexes, group 4 alkylidenes and alkylidynes. In the context of conversion of solar energy and water to fuels, we are exploring non-biological approaches to oxygen production.
Transition metal catalysts supported by our designer ligands can be used for catalytic reactions for organic synthesis: aryl-aryl coupling, hydrogenation, aldol-type coupling, etc. The chemistry of highly electrophilic main group derivatives allows for catalytic defluorination of "super-greenhouse-gas" fluroorganic compounds (HFC, CFC) under mild conditions. The Ozerov group is a member of Powering the Planet, an NSF-sponsored Center for Chemical Innovation tackling the conversion of solar energy to fuels. As part of Powering the Planet, we are exploring non-biological approaches to oxygen-oxygen bond formation.
Douvris, C.; Ozerov, O.V. Hydrodefluorination Of Perfluoroalkyl Groups Using Silylium-Carborane Catalysts Science 2008, in press.
Fafard, C. M.; Chen, C.-H.; Foxman, B. M.; Ozerov, O. V. Covalent Palladium-Zinc Bonds and Their Reactivity Chem. Commun. 2007, 4465.
Gerber, L. C. H.; Watson, L. A.; Parkin, S.; Weng, W.; Foxman, B. M.; Ozerov, O. V. A Bis(methylidene) Complex of Tantalum Supported by a PNP Ligand Organometallics 2007, 26, 4866.
Fafard, C. M.; Adhikari, D.; Foxman, B. M.; Mindiola, D. J.; Ozerov, O. V. Addition of Ammonia, Water, and Dihydrogen Across a Single Pd-Pd Bond J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 10318 .
Weng, W.; Guo, C.; Çelenligil-Çetin, R.; Foxman, B. M.; Ozerov, O. V. Skeletal Change In The PNP Pincer Ligand Leads To A Highly Regioselective Alkyne Dimerization Catalyst Chem. Commun. 2006, 197.
Fan, L.; Parkin, S.; Ozerov, O. V. "Halobenzenes and Ir(I): Kinetic C-H Oxidative Addition and Thermodynamic C-Hal Oxidative Addition J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 16772.
Fan, L.; Ozerov, O. V. Efficient Nickel Catalyst For Coupling Of Acetonitrile With Aldehydes Chem. Commun. 2005, 4450
