From Coordination and Organometallic Chemistry to Cooperative Reactivity and Heterogeneous Catalysis

Bio: Dr. Vicky Montiel-Palma is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Mississippi State University. She received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of York, UK, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) in Toulouse, France. After a short period as a research scientist in industry, she joined the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico as a faculty member before moving to Mississippi State University in 2018.

Her research program spans organometallic and coordination chemistry, molecular catalyst design, cooperative metal–ligand reactivity, and heterogeneous catalysis, with an increasing focus on translating molecular-level control into well-defined catalytic sites in porous materials. Her group investigates how ligand design, cooperative metal–ligand interactions, and catalyst immobilization influence reactivity, selectivity, and catalyst robustness. Her research is currently supported by the National Science Foundation, including an NSF CAREER Award.

Abstract: Immobilization of molecular catalysts on solid supports offers an attractive route to combine the selectivity and tunability of homogeneous catalysts with the robustness and recyclability of heterogeneous materials. However, preserving molecular-level control of the active site while improving catalyst stability, activity, and lifetime remains a significant challenge.

This lecture will describe our evolution from the synthesis of discrete coordination and organometallic complexes to the development of molecularly defined catalytic sites within porous materials. Particular emphasis will be placed on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), where molecular transition-metal fragments can be incorporated while retaining key features of their coordination environment. Through direct comparisons with their homogeneous counterparts, we have shown that immobilization can profoundly influence catalytic activity, selectivity, stability, and reaction energetics. Recent examples in alkene functionalization, including hydrosilylation, dehydrogenative silylation, and hydroboration, illustrate how interactions between the molecular active site and its surrounding framework can be exploited to create increasingly robust and selective catalytic platforms.