Chemistry Seminar - Divalent Organocopper Complexes: Masked Radicals for Effective Electrochemically Driven Atom Transfer Radical Addition

Title: Divalent Organocopper Complexes: Masked Radicals for Effective Electrochemically Driven Atom Transfer Radical Addition

Speaker:  Dr. Masnun Naher, SCMB

Abstract: Copper-catalyzed electrochemical atom transfer radical addition (eATRA) is an emerging method for building carbon–carbon bonds in organic synthesis. In this approach, copper complexes with polyamine ligands are used under electrochemical conditions to activate alkyl halides (RX), generating reactive radicals (•R). This radical is then captured by copper(I) complex to form a unique organocopper(II) intermediate. Our recent work has shown that this new organocopper complex can act as a controlled source of radical, enabling efficient and selective eATRA reactions while minimizing unwanted radical coupling. We have applied this method to a variety of organic halides containing functional groups such as nitriles, ketones, and esters, targeting both aromatic and aliphatic alkenes. X-ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, EPR and UV/Vis spectroelectrochemical studies provided insights into the active organocopper(II) species, offering a detailed understanding of how functional groups influence reactivity. This presentation will highlight the potential of electrochemical methods for carbon–carbon bond formation and discuss the new directions in electrochemical organic synthesis using copper-based catalysts.

Biography: Dr Masnun Naher is a synthetic chemist with expertise in metal-based molecular design, focusing on electronic properties, electrochemistry, and catalysis. She completed her B.Sc. (Hons) and Master’s in Chemistry at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Bangladesh, where she later worked as a Lecturer. In 2018, Masnun was awarded the prestigious Forrest Research Foundation Scholarship to pursue her PhD at The University of Western Australia under Professor Paul Low. Her research explored structure–property relationships in molecular electronics, and she completed her PhD in 2022. She is now a postdoctoral research fellow at The University of Queensland, working with Professors Paul Bernhardt and Craig Williams on copper-based catalysts for electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical addition (eATRA) reactions to develop new organic compounds.