Professor, Canada Research Chair in Boron Chemistry
Borylation Reactions: A major focus in our lab is the development of novel metal complexes for their ability to catalyze a number of borylation reactions. Borylations are the addition of X-B bonds (X = H, B, Si, S, Ge, N) to unsaturated organics. Metal complexes containing the ligand [Bcat2]- are or particular interest owing to its ability to bind to metal via the arene rings of the catecholato groups.
Biologically Active Metal and Boron Compounds: Platinum complexes are powerful anticancer agents and boron compounds are being designed for their potential antifungal, antibacterial, antimycobacterial and anticancer properties.
Recent Publications: (101 different undergraduate authors)
1. Invited Paper to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Alfred Werner ‘Rhodium complexes containing arylspiroborates derived from 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol and their use in catalyzed hydroborations’ Geier, M. J.; Geier, S. J.; Halcovitch, N. R.; Vogels, C. M.; Decken, A.; Westcott, S. A.* Polyhedron submitted.
2. Invited Paper ‘Sterically demanding aryl chlorides: no longer a problem for borylations’ Vogels, C. M.; Westcott, S. A.* ChemCatChem 2012, 4, 47-49.
3. ‘Addition of boranes to N-aryl salicylaldimines: Intramolecular hydrogenation of imines’ Barnes, S. S.; Vogels, C. M.; Decken, A.; Westcott, S. A.* Dalton Trans. 2011, 40, 4707-4714.