Radical Chlorination of Organic Molecules Through Photocatalysis — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Radical Chlorination of Organic Molecules Through Photocatalysis

Name: Anna Benz-Weeden
Major: Biology, Chemistry
Hometown: Orland Park, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research

Name: David Wilson
Major: Chemistry
Hometown: Batavia, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research

Abstract

Radical chlorination is an important transformation in organic synthesis. In general, radical chlorination converts a C–H bond to a C–Cl bond. Traditionally, radical chlorination has been accomplished using harsh reaction conditions like ultraviolet light and toxic reagents like chlorine gas. Our lab is exploring a new, more sustainable approach to radical chlorination using photocatalysis. In photocatalysis, the reaction is exposed to visible light which excites the catalyst and allows the reaction to proceed. The current conditions being examined in the reaction are the use of a tungsten photocatalyst, TBADT, ethyl benzene as the substrate being chlorinated, and a range of chlorine sources in solution with acetonitrile. In the presence of visible light, the tungsten catalyst becomes excited and reacts with the ethyl benzene, forming a radical intermediate on the benzylic carbon. The radical intermediate then reacts with the chlorine source and forms a carbon chlorine bond. The optimization of reaction conditions is the main point of investigation. One variable that is being examined is the effectiveness of the chlorine radical source. So far we have observed that different chlorine radical sources product different ratios of mono- and di-chlorinated products. The focal point of this investigation is to further optimize the conditions of the reaction to improve the yield.