Research Interests
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Synthetic Chemistry
- Green Chemistry
Contact Info
Robin Damato
robin.damato@yale.edu
SCL 217
Research
The Holland group studies compounds containing inexpensive metals like iron and cobalt, with the goal of understanding their reactions in detail and increasing their potential for use in catalysis. We do this by preparing new molecules that are highly reactive. In some cases, the compounds have weak metal-ligand multiple bonds, and in others there are open sites for reactions on the metal. We specialize in compounds where the metal has very few bonds, and have done many detailed studies on this rare and exciting type of compound.
A major part of our research program has focused on nitrogen fixation, which utilizes atmospheric nitrogen as a underutilized resource. Our work has relevance to finding sustainable alternatives to the Haber-Bosch process for fertilizer production, and to understanding the natural enzyme that converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. We have also found ways of converting atmospheric nitrogen into organic compounds by combining with hydrocarbons. Other research in our laboratory addresses production of fuel from solar energy, enzymes with carbon dioxide-reducing active sites, and catalytic functionalizations of alkenes. We are recognized as leaders in organometallic mechanisms, and Prof. Holland edited the opening volume of Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry IV.
Our research provides an interdisciplinary training environment that develops students’ skills in synthesis, biological inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, mechanistic techniques, and spectroscopy.
Education
A.B. Princeton University, 1993
Ph.D. University of California at Berkeley, 1997
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota, 1997-2000
Honors
- NSF CAREER Award, 2002
- Sloan Fellowship, 2003
- Fulbright Scholar, 2012
- Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists, 2013
- Fellow of the AAAS, 2014
- Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation, 2016
Recent Publications
S. F. McWilliams, D. L. J. Broere, C. J. V. Halliday, S. M. Bhutto, B. Q. Mercado, P. L. Holland, “Coupling Dinitrogen and Hydrocarbons through Aryl Migration,” Nature 2020, 584, 221-226. Featured in Chem. Eng. News “Year in Chemistry 2020” as one of the “Sensational Syntheses of 2020.”
S. M. Bhutto, R. X. Hooper, B. Q. Mercado, P. L. Holland
Mechanism of Nitrogen-Carbon Bond Formation From Iron(IV) Disilylhydrazido Intermediates During N2 Reduction
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 4626-4637.
C. V. Wilson, P. L. Holland
Mechanism of Alkene Hydrofunctionalization by Oxidative Cobalt(salen) Catalyzed Hydrogen Atom Transfer
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 2685–2700.
D. W. N. Wilson, M. S. Fataftah, Z. Mathe, B. Q. Mercado, S. DeBeer, P. L. Holland
Three-Coordinate Nickel and Metal-Metal Interactions in a Heterometallic Iron-Sulfur Cluster
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 4013–4025.
A. L. Nagelski, M. S. Fataftah, S. N. MacMillan, K. C. MacLeod, S. F. McWilliams, B. Q. Mercado, K. M. Lancaster, P. L. Holland
Bridging Carbonyl and Carbyne Complexes of Weak-Field Iron: Electronic Structure and Iron-Carbon Bonding
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, in press.
Professor Holland and Group in the News
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Nitrogen Fixers Alec Hegg and Ryan Donnelly demo classroom experiment to Connecticut teachers
Grad students presented a lab experiment at a conference for teachers. The lesson plan is available at their site for all to replicate in classrooms.
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For promise as lifelong leaders, four Chemistry students receive NSF fellowships
Four Chemistry students were chosen for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
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Holland Group article on reactions of iron-nitrogen complexes named ChemSci 'Pick of the Week'
The Holland Group’s research on the reactions of iron-nitrogen complexes has earned them special recognition by Chemical Science.
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