Alison R. Fout
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Professor Fout received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Gannon University in 2002 and a M.S. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2004. In 2009 she received her Ph.D. from Indiana University and was the 2010 recipient of the American Chemical Society Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award for her research at Indiana. From 2009-2012 she was both a Mary Fieser and NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University. Alison joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012.
Research
The Fout research program focuses on the synthesis of ligand architectures that can support transition metal complexes capable of mediating unusual transformations for biological, environmental and energy problems. Our main curiosities stem from catalytic, synthetic inorganic, and bioinorganic chemistry. The group is interested in using synthesis, reactivity, and mechanistic studies to understand the activation of small molecules by low-coordinate transition metal-ligand multiple bonds.
Bioinorganic: We are interested in developing synthetic systems containing structural and functional motifs found within the particular architecture of metalloproteins. Our approach to facilitate multi-electron transformations is to use a ligand scaffold with two key features: 1) a hydrogen-bonding network to stabilize reactive intermediates and channel substrates toward the metal center; 2) a redox active phenol or tyrosine. The design of new synthetic systems that are tailored to particular functions will provide insight into the reactivity of targeted metalloproteins.
Synthetic Inorganic and Catalysis: First-row transition metals are more abundant, less toxic and more cost efficient than the second and third-row congeners. We are interested in using first-row transition metal complexes in both stoichiometric and catalytic transformations to effect the reactive scope currently observed by their heavier counterparts. Using strong-field ligands facilitates desired chemical reactivity by suppressing one electron pathways, resulting in new catalysts for two electron bond-making and bond-breaking processes, e.g. oxidative addition and reductive elimination. Iron, cobalt and nickel catalysts are primary targets for their ability to parallel second and third-row transition metal catalysts. A related topic of interest involves using sterically encumbering ligands to target high-valent coordinatively unsaturated metal complexes for the intermolecular C-H bond activation of alkenes or arenes.
Students in the group will develop a strong foundation in synthetic organometallic chemistry while developing familiarity with spectroscopic techniques including multinuclear NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance, magnetometry, X-ray crystallography, IR, UV-vis, Mössbauer, and electrochemistry.
Publications
Oxidative Group Transfer to a Trimanganese Complex to Form an Interstitial m6-nitride and m6-oxide, [Mn6(m6-E)]n-. Fout, A. R.; Zhao, Q.; Xiao, D. J.; Betley, T. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 16750-16753.
1,2-CF Bond Activation of Perfluoroarenes and Alkylidene Isomers of Titanium. DFT Analysis of the C-F Bond Activation Pathway and Rotation of the Titanium Alkylidene Moiety. Andino, J. G.; Fan, H.; Fout, A. R.; Bailey, B. C.; Baik, M.-H.; Mindiola, D. J. J. Organomet. Chem. 2011, 696, 4138-4146.
Atom Economical Route to Substituted Pyridines via a Scandium Imide. Wicker, B. F.; Scott, J. L.; Fout, A. R.; Pink, M.; Mindiola, D. J. Organometallics 2011, 30, 2453-2456.
Oxidative Group Transfer to a Triiron Complex to Form a Nucleophilic m3-Nitride [Fe3(m3-N)]-. Powers, T. M.; Fout, A. R.; Zheng, S.-L.; Betley, T. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 3336-3338.
Synthetic and Mechanistic Studies of the Ring-opening and Denitrogenation of Pyridine and Picolines by a Ti-C Multiple Bond. Fout, A. R.; Buck, D. M.; Bailey, B. C.; Fan, H.; Huffman, J. C.; Baik, M.-H.; Mindiola, D. J. Organometallics 2010, 29, 5409-5422.
Dehydrofluorination of Fluorohydrocarbons by Titanium Alkylidynes via Sequential C-H/C-F Bond Activation Reactions. A Synthetic, Structural, and Mechanistic Study of 1,2-CH Bond Addition and b-Fluoride Elimination. Fout, A. R.; Scott, J.; Miller, D. L.; Bailey, B. C.; Huffman, J. C.; Pink, M.; Mindiola, D. J. Organometallics 2009, 28, 331-347.
Lewis Acid Stabilized Methylidene and Oxoscandium Complexes. Scott, J.; Fan, H.; Wicker, B. F.; Fout, A. R.; Baik, M.-H.; Mindiola, D. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 14438-14439.
A Transient V(III)-Alkylidene Complex: Oxidation Chemistry Including the Activation of N2 to Afford a Highly Porous Honeycomb-like Framework. Kilgore, U. J.; Sengelaub, C. A.; Pink, M.; Fout, A. R.; Mindiola, D. J. Angew. Chemie, Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 3769-3772.
Evidence for the Existence of a Terminal Imidoscandium Complex. Intermolecular C-H Activation and Trapping Reactions with the Transient Sc=NAr Linkage. Scott, J.; Basuli, F.; Fout, A. R.; Huffman, J. C.; Mindiola, D. J. Angew. Chemie. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 8502-8505.
The Progression of Synthetic Strategies to Assemble Titanium Complexes Bearing the Terminal Imide Group. Fout, A. R.; Kilgore, U. J.; Mindiola, D. J. Chem. Eur. J. 2007, 13, 9428-9440.
Cyclic Denitrogenation of N-Heterocycles Applying a Homogenous Titanium Reagent. Fout, A. R.; Bailey, B. C.; Tomaszewski, J.; Mindiola, D. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 12640-12641.
An Alkylidyne Analogue to Tebbe’s Reagent. Trapping Reactions of a Titanium Neopentylidyne by Incomplete and Complete 1, 2-Additions. Bailey, B. C.; Fout, A. R.; Fan, H.; Tomaszewski, J.; Huffman, J. C.; Mindiola, D. J. Angew. Chemie. 2007, 46, 8246-8249.
Snapshots of an Alkylidyne for Nitride Triple-Bond Metathesis. Bailey, B. C.; Fout, A. R.; Fan, H.; Tomaszewski, J.; Huffman, J. C.; Gary, J. B.; Johnson, M. J. A.; Mindiola, D. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 2234-2235.
A Co2N2 Diamond Core Resting State of Cobalt (I): A Three-Coordinate Co(I) Synthon Invoking an Unusual Pincer-Type Rearrangement. Fout, A. R.; Basuli, F.; Fan, H.; Tomaszewski, J.; Huffman, J. C.; Baik, M-H.; Mindiola, D. J. Angew. Chemie. 2006, 45, 3291-3295.
Titanium Complexes Supported by a Sterically Encumbering N-anchored Tris-arylphenoxide Ligand. Cortes, S. A.; Munoz Hernandez, M. A.; Nakai, H.; Castro-Rodriguez, I.; Meyer, K.; Fout, A. R.; Miller, D.L.; Huffman, J. C.; Mindiola, D. J. Inorg. Chem. Comm. 2005, 8, 903-907.
Manganese(I) Poly(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate Complexes: Spectroscopic and Structural Characterization of Mn···H-B Interactions in Solution and in the Solid State. Graham, L. A.; Fout, A. R.; Kuehne, K. R.; White, J. L.; Mookherji, B.; Marks, F. M.; Yap, G. P. A.; Zakharov, L. N.; Rheingold, A. L.; Rabinovich, D. Dalton Trans. 2005, 1, 171-180.
Awards
2010 American Chemical Society Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigators Award
2010-2012 NIH Postdoctoral Fellow
2009 Mary Fieser Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University
2008 Felix Haurowitz Award, Indiana University
2008 College of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Year Research Fellowship, Indiana University
2008 Bernice Eastwood Covalt Memorial Scholarship, Indiana University
2008 James H. Coon Sciences Prize, Indiana University
2005 E. Campaigne C500 Award, Indiana University
