Project Grant 2154699

This three-year, $180,149 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports collaborative research on electrochemical nickel-catalyzed reductive biaryl coupling between researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Colorado State University. The team will use analytical, computational, and electroanalytical tools to study the mechanistic steps of these reactions and identify factors that influence catalyst identity, conditions, and applied potential. Insights gained will guide efforts to improve catalyst turnover number, frequency, and selectivity to enable commercial-scale electrochemical reductive biaryl synthesis in flow reactors. The research contributes to understanding nickel catalysis and electrosynthesis, with the aim of developing lower-cost, more sustainable alternatives to state-of-the-art biaryl syntheses utilizing nonselective oxidation or expensive precious metal catalysts. Colorado State University serves as the primary awardee and place of performance.