Inorganic/Materials Chemistry/Organic/Organometallic/Polymer Chemistry

The Coates Group studies the development of new catalysts that can be used for the synthesis of small molecules and polymers. Projects in the Coates Group are interdisciplinary, addressing problems at the interface of organic, inorganic, organometallic, and polymer chemistry.

Research The research focus of my group is the development of new synthetic strategies for producing polymers of defined structure. The control of polymer composition, architecture, stereochemistry, and molecular weight allows the indirect control of polymer properties via polymer morphology. Our research projects are interdisciplinary, addressing problems at the interface of organic, inorganic, organometallic, and polymer chemistry.

Van Zee, Nathan J.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Alternating Copolymerization of Propylene Oxide with Biorenewable Terpene-Based Cyclic Anhydrides: A Sustainable Route to Aliphatic Polyesters with High Glass Transition Temperatures. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 2665-2668. doi: 10.1002/anie.201410641

Auriemma, Finizia; De Rosa, Claudio: Di Caprio, Maria R.; Di Girolamo, Rocco; Ellis, W. Chadwick; Coates, Geoffrey W. Stereocomplexed Poly(Limonene Carbonate): A Unique Example of the Cocrystallization of Amorphous Enantiomeric Polymers. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2015, 54, 1215–1218. doi: 10.1002/anie.201410211

Mulzer, Michael; Coates, Geoffrey W. Carbonylation of cis-Disubstituted Epoxides to trans-β-Lactones: Catalysts Displaying Steric and Contrasteric Regioselectivity. J. Org. Chem., 2014, 79, 11851–11862. doi: 10.1021/jo501899e

Longo, Julie M.; DiCiccio, Angela M.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Poly(propylene succinate): A New Polymer Stereocomplex. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 15897–15900. doi:10.1021/ja509440g

Ellis, W. Chadwick; Jung, Yukyung; Mulzer, Michael; Di Girolamo, Rocco; Lobkovsky, Emil B.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Copolymerization of CO2 and meso epoxides using enantioselective β-diiminate catalysts: a route to highly isotactic polycarbonates. Chem. Sci., 2014, 5, 4004-4011. doi: 10.1039/C4SC01686F

Mulzer, Michael; Tiegs, Brandon J.; Wang, Yanping; Coates, Geoffrey W.; O’Doherty, George A. Total Synthesis of Tetrahydrolipstatin and Stereoisomers via a Highly Regio- and Diastereoselective Carbonylation of Epoxyhomoallylic Alcohols. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 10814−10820. doi:10.1021/ja505639u

Childers, M. Ian; Longo, Julie M.; Van Zee, Nathan J.; LaPointe, Anne M.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Stereoselective Epoxide Polymerization and Copolymerization. Chem. Rev. 2014, 114, 8129−8152. doi:10.1021/cr400725x

Mulzer, Michael; Lamb, Jessica R.; Nelson, Zachary; Coates, Geoffrey, W. Carbonylative enantioselective meso-desymmetrization of cis-epoxides to trans-β-lactones: effect of salen-ligand electronic variation on enantioselectivity. Chem. Comm. 2014, 50, 9842-9845. doi:10.1039/C4CC04397A

Young, N. P.; Devaux, D.; Khurana, R.; Coates, G. W.; Balsara, N. P. Investigating polypropylene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polypropylene triblock copolymers as solid polymer electrolytes for lithium batteries. Solid State Ionics. 2014, 263, 87-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ssi.2014.05.012

Khurana, Rachna; Schaefer, Jennifer L.; Archer, Lynden, A.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Suppression of Lithium Dendrite Growth Using Cross-Linked Polyethylene/Poly(ethylene oxide) Electrolytes: A New Approach for Practical Lithium-Metal Polymer Batteries. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014,136, 7395–7402. doi: 10.1021/ja502133j

Vaidya,Tulaza; Klimovica, Kristine; LaPointe, Anne M.; Lobkovsky, Emil B.; Daugulis, Olafs;Coates, Geoffrey W. Secondary Alkene Insertion and Precision Chain-Walking: A New Route to Semicrystalline “Polyethylene” from a-Olefins by Combining Two Rare Catalytic Events. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 7213–7216. doi: 10.1021/ja502130w

Van Zee, Nathan J.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Alternating copolymerization of dihydrocoumarin and epoxides catalyzed by chromium salen complexes: a new route to functional polyesters. Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 6322-6325. doi: 10.1039/C4CC01566E

Mulzer, Michael; Ellis, W. Chadwick; Lobkovsky, Emil B.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Enantioenriched B-lactone and aldol-type products from regiodivergent carbonylation of racemic cis-epoxides. Chem. Sci. 2014, 5, 1928-1933. doi: 10.1039/C4SC00075G

John, Jimmy; Hugar, Kristina M.; Rivera-Melendez, Johary; Kostalik, Henry A.; Rus, Eric D.; Wang, Hongsen; Coates, Geoffrey William; Abruna, Hector D. An Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study of a Prospective Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Material for Fuel Cells: Anion Exchange Dynamics and Membrane Swelling. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 5309–5322. doi: 10.1021/ja4117457

Ritzert, Nicole L.; Truong, Thanh-Tam; Coates, Geoffrey W.; Abruna, Hector D. Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of Bithiophenes with Methylthio Functionalities. J. Phys. Chem. C 2014, 118, 924-932. doi: 10.1021/jp412100x

Ahmed, Syud M.; Poater, Albert; Childers, M. Ian; Widger, Peter C. B.; LaPointe, Anne M.; Lobkovsky, Emil B.; Coates, Geoffrey W.; Cavallo, Luigi. Enantioselective Polymerization of Epoxides Using Biaryl-Linked Bimetallic Cobalt Catalysts: A Mechanistic Study. J. Am.Chem.Soc. 2013, 117, 18901-18911. doi: 10.1021/ja409521z

Auriemma, Finizia; De Rosa, Claudio; Di Girolamo, Rocco; Silvestre, Amelia; Anderson-Wile, Amelia M.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Small Angle X-ray Scattering Investigation of Norbornene-Terminated Syndiotactic Polypropylene and Corresponding Comb-Like Poly(macromonomer). J. Phys. Chem. B 2013, 117, 10320- 10333. doi: 10.1021/jp404394y/a

Whiting, Bryan T.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Synthesis and Polymerization of Bicyclic Ketals: A Practical Route to High-Molecular Weight Polyketals. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 10974-10977. doi: 10.1021/ja405581r/a

Mulzer, Michael; Whiting, Bryan T.; Coates, Geoffrey W. Regioselective Carbonylation of trans-Disubstituted Epoxides to B-Lactones: A Viable Entry into syn-Aldol-Type Products. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 10930-10933. doi: 10.1021/ja405151n

Cohen, Ad; Coates, Geoffrey W.; Kol, Moshe. Propylene polymerization by C1-Symmetric {ONNO’}-type salan zirconium complexes. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 593-600. doi: 10.1002/pola.26408