Research Interests:
Research in the Jordan group is focused on synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry. The central theme of this work is the interplay between the structures and reactivity of organometallic compounds, especially in systems that are relevant to catalysis. We design reactive organometallic complexes for use as practical catalysts and synthetic reagents, and as probes of fundamental mechanistic issues in catalysis. We use a wide range of synthetic and spectroscopic methods for the manipulation and characterization of reactive materials, most notably anaerobic synthesis techniques, NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling and X-ray crystallography. Our current efforts are focused on four major topics: (i) catalytic olefin polymerization, with an emphasis on the development of electronically unsymmetrical catalysts for the copolymerization of ethylene with polar CH2=CHX monomers, (ii) the self-assembly of multinuclear organometallics for olefin polymerization and small molecule activation, (iii) the conversion of CO2 to value-added products, and (iv) the influence of second-sphere functional groups on the behavior of organometallic catalysts.
Selected References
"Sterically Controlled Self-Assembly of a Robust Multinuclear Palladium Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization." Liu, Q.; Jordan, R. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 6827–6831.
"Ethylene Oligomerization and Polymerization by Palladium(II) Methyl Complexes Supported by Phosphines Bearing a Perchlorinated 10-Vertex closo-Carborane Anion Substituent." Kleinsasser, J. F.; Reinhart, E. D.; Estrada, J.; Jordan, R. F.; Lavallo, V. Organometallics 2018, 37, 4773–4783.
"Multinuclear Palladium Olefin Polymerization Catalysts Based On Self-Assembled Zinc Phosphonate Cages." Liu, Q.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2018, 37, 4664–4674.
"Heterolytic H-H and H-B Bond Cleavage Reactions of {(IPr)Ni(μ-S)} 2 ." Olechnowicz, F.; Hillhouse, G. L.; Cundari, T.; Jordan, R. F. Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56, 9922–9930.
"Olefin Insertion into a Pd-F Bond. Catalyst Reactivation Following β-F Elimination in Ethylene/Vinyl-fluoride Copolymerization." Wada, S.; Jordan, R. F. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 1820-1824.
"Allosteric Effects in Ethylene Polymerization Catalysis. Enhancement of Performance of Phosphine-Phosphinate and Phosphine-Phosphonate Palladium Alkyl Catalysts by Remote Binding of B(C6F5)3." Johnson, A. M.; Contrella, N. D.; Sampson, J. R.; Zheng, M.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 36, 4990–5002.
"Synthesis and Reactivity of Palladium(II) Alkyl Complexes that Contain Phosphine-cyclopentanesulfonate Ligands." Black, R; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 36, 3415–3428.
"(α-Diimine)Ni Complexes that Contain Menthyl Substituents: Synthesis, Conformational Behavior and Olefin Polymerization Catalysis." Zhai, F.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 36, 2784–2799.
"Copolymerization of Ethylene with Acrylate Monomers by Amide-Functionalized α-Diimine Pd Catalysts." Zhai, F.; Solomon, J. B.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 26, 1873-1879.
"Self-Assembled Cage Structures and Ethylene Polymerization Behavior of Palladium Alkyl Complexes that Contain Phosphine-Bis(arenesulfonate) Ligands." Wei, J.; Shen, Z.; Filatov, A. S.; Liu, Q.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2016, 35, 3557-3568.
"Reactivity of (Pyridine-Diimine)Fe Alkyl Complexes with Carbon Dioxide". Lau, K.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2016, 35, 3658-3666.
"Synthesis of Borophosphonate Cage Compounds: Influence of Substituent and Concentration Effects on Product Distribution in Condensation Reactions of Aryl Phosphonic Acids and Boronic Acids." Liu, Q.; Contrella, N. D.; Filatov, A.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2015, 34, 254–262.