First-row metal catalysts for turning C–H bonds into amines
Official title: Development of First-Row Transtion-Metal Reagents for Catalytic C-H Bond Amination via Nitrene-Transfer Chemistry
Funded at Missouri University of Science & Technology · NIH-11444661 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiming to develop new, earth-abundant metal catalysts to turn common carbon-hydrogen bonds into amines, which are useful in medicines, agrochemicals, and polymers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Missouri University of Science & Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $554,962 |
| NIH project number | 2R15GM139071-02A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11444661 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are researchers or clinicians interested in translating improved amination methods into pharmaceutical or agrochemical applications.
✕Less likely to help
Patients would not directly participate in this basic chemistry project, and there is no patient recruitment component.
What this research studies
This project focuses on creating and understanding a library of catalysts based on manganese, iron, cobalt, and copper to enable C–H bond amination using nitrene-transfer chemistry. Researchers will design tripodal and bipodal ligands to steer reactivity and selectivity, while combining experimental work with computer modeling to uncover how small changes affect outcomes. The work targets both activated and challenging, non-activated C–H sites to broaden the scope of amination methods. Insights from this project could guide future catalyst design for more efficient and selective synthesis of amines. The study is carried out at Missouri University of Science & Technology, led by Pericles Stavropoulos, over a multi-year period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could enable easier, greener routes to amines for drugs, agrochemicals, and materials, potentially lowering costs and environmental impact.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work with first-row transition metals shows promise for selective C–H amination, but this project emphasizes new ligand designs to tackle tougher C–H bonds.
Where this research is happening
-
Missouri University of Science & Technology
Rolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stavropoulos, Pericles — Missouri University of Science & Technology
- Study coordinator: Stavropoulos, Pericles
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.