The Rio Tinto Award recognizes frontier research in inorganic chemistry or electrochemistry. An outstanding researcher, and also uOttawa’s Director of Graduate Studies for Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Professor Deryn Fogg was recently awarded the prestigious Rio Tinto Award, the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s highest honour in her field, for her work in catalysis. Prof. Fogg notes that “uOttawa has a long-standing reputation for excellence in catalysis science, with luminaries like Howard Alper, Sandro Gambarotta, and Tom Baker, several of whom are prior winners of this award. It’s an honour to be in their company.”
Forming carbon-carbon bonds is key to building many essential molecules, from materials to drugs. Historically, however, the latter application has borne a heavy environmental footprint. Prof. Fogg and her research group are interested in a class of reactions that enables more sustainable chemical processes, which consume less material and energy. The reaction known as olefin metathesis holds great potential in this regard. It is prized for its versatility, especially in the pharmaceutical sector, where it can offer simpler and shorter pathways to key drug molecules, of which antiviral drugs are a showcase application now of global interest. However, the reaction requires a catalyst—a metal-containing molecule that acts as a marriage broker, bringing the two carbon atoms together to form the new bond. When the catalyst dies, the reaction ends, so short catalyst lifetimes have proved a major challenge to implementation. Worse yet, the spent catalyst can promote unwanted side reactions. These problems have greatly limited uptake of this Nobel-Prize winning technology in chemical manufacturing, where its potential impact on sustainability is most needed.
With the intention of making olefin metathesis work more effectively and reliably, Prof. Fogg has sought to understand the rich chemistry that underlies this unintended catalyst reactivity. Her research group has succeeded in identifying key catalyst vulnerabilities: some can be addressed by engineering solutions, and others reveal key parameters for catalyst redesign. Their research has important implications for both fundamental understanding and practical implementation, particularly in pharmaceutical process chemistry, where environmentally more benign technologies are a priority.
Prof. Fogg comments that studies of catalyst decomposition are an emerging frontier in molecular catalysis. While recent accolades highlight the importance of her work in providing critical design parameters, she says her group faced resistance, or incomprehension, when they began this line of research nearly a decade ago. “The University slogan notwithstanding, it can be tough for graduate students to ‘Defy the Conventional’. That is, to keep faith in the importance of their work when it doesn’t conform to existing paradigms. I am grateful for their faith and tenacity, and very happy to see it rewarded!”
