The second Fusion conference on Small Molecule Activation took place in Cancun Mexico, from 20th – 23rd May 2016. The meeting was chaired by Christian Limberg (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany).

The first day was dedicated to dioxygen activation, including systems operating homogeneously, heterogeneously, or in biology. Kenneth Karlin (Johns Hopkins University, plenary), Franc Meyer (Georg-August-University), and Jean-Philip Lumb (McGill University) spoke about biomimetic and bioinspired copper chemistry and Pieter Vanelderen (KU Leuven) pointed out the similarities to copper units bound at the surfaces of silicate materials. Molecular models for metal sites on silicates were discussed by Marie-Louise Wind (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), and Karen Goldberg (University of Washington) provided insights into the proceedings occurring when bonds between late-metal ions and organic residues come into contact with O₂. O₂ activation at molecular first row transition metal compounds was reported by Christine McKenzie (University of Southern Denmark), while Grit Daniela Straganz (Technische Universität Graz) dealt with natural paragons, namely iron enzymes. Finally, Victor Adamian (BP Petrochemicals) talked about the mechanism of one of the most important homogeneously catalysed industrial processes utilizing O₂ as the oxidant.

The morning of day 2 focused on the utilization of CO₂ and CO for the synthesis of value-added products. Etsuko Fujita Brookhaven National Laboratory gave a plenary lecture on thermal and photochemical CO₂ conversion; the latter formed also the topic of the lecture given by Matthias Schwalbe (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin). Didier Bourissou (Paul Sabatier University) outlined how the concept of frustrated Lewis-pairs can be exploited for CO₂ activation. Holger Dobbek (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) explained how it is realized in enzymes and Yunho Lee (KAIST) presented biomimetic model studies. CO cleavage and coupling was discussed by Theodor Agapie (Caltech) and mimics of reactive intermediates in catalytic processes mediated by transition-metal CO complexes were presented by Josh Figueroa (University of California, San Diego).

After a period of leisure time in a beautiful environment the scientific part of the day continued by lectures about N₂ activation and reactive nitrogen species. Binding and activation of the latter formed the topic of talks given by Christine Thomas (Brandeis University), Kallol Ray (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and Bas de Bruin (University of Amsterdam), and a plenary lecture given by Paul Chirik (Princeton University) addressed the interconversion of ammonia with its elements. Binding and activation of dinitrogen formed the topic in the presentations of Andrew Ashley (Imperial College London), Liang Deng (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry), and Leslie Murray (University of Florida).

The next morning started with a plenary lecture given by Marc Fontecave (College de France) discussing CO₂ reduction by molecules and solids followed by a talk of Cameron Jones (Monash University) outlining how main-group element complexes can activate small molecules. The activation of peroxides formed the focus of presentations given by Christopher Scarborough (Emory University) and Anna Company (Universitat de Girona). Stefan Roggan (Bayer Technology Services) presented results concerning the activation of chlorine for the synthesis of phosgene. Again the afternoon remained free before the program continued with lectures concerning the conversion of hydrocarbons. Matthias Tamm (Technische Universität Braunschweig) and Adam Veige (University of Florida) talked about alkine metathesis and oligomerisation, George Britovsek (Imperial College London) about olefin oligomerization and T. Brent Gunnoe (University of Virginia) about olefin hydroarylation. There followed the poster session and a very enjoyable Gala dinner including the awarding of the poster prizes.

The last day started with a plenary lecture by Zhaomin Hou (RIKEN) on the activation of hydrocarbons and dihydrogen followed by a presentation by Ronny Neumann (Weizmann Institute of Science) on the oxidation of arenes and alkylarenes by an electron transfer-oxygen transfer (ET-OT) mechanism. Robert Wolf (Universität Regensburg) reported how the oxidation of C-H bonds with O₂ can be reached using light. The activation of CO₂ and its utilization were the topic of talks given by Arjan Kleij (ICIQ) and Fabian Dielmann (University of Münster), and the program was concluded by an oral contribution that had been selected among the submitted posters: Eynat Haviv (Weizmann Institute of Science) talked about the photoelectrochemical reduction of CO₂.

Hence, the conference gathered excellent scientists from all over the world covering a wide range of small molecule activation. It thus revealed common principles, prerequisites for catalysis and current trends/frontiers.

The conference venue allowed for a very relaxed atmosphere for discussion, networking, and setting up collaborations. Due to the high quality of the speakers and their lectures, they received the unshared attention of all participants – despite the temptations waiting outside the lecture halls.

The representatives of Fusion on site were most professional, helpful and reliable and at the same time pleasant to be with; all participants were very impressed with the high organization level of the meeting. There was general agreement among the participants that a third meeting should be organized for 2018 on the same topic, as progress is rapid in this field, which forms the basis of an efficient exploitation of our resources.

The meeting was sponsored by the journal Inorganic Chemistry (American Chemical Society) as well as by the Publisher Wiley-VCH.

Following the success of the first SMA conference in Chicago, which took place in July 2014 we are delighted to be organising a second series. 

Small molecules are constituents of the air we breathe (e.g. N₂, O₂, CO₂) and take part in element cycles and various metabolic processes. Further representatives (e.g. H₂, CO, CH₄) are produced/converted in nature under anaerobic conditions or in industrial processes on large scales. Hence, small molecules such as those mentioned are readily accessible and comparatively inexpensive, so that it is highly desirable to include them into syntheses of value-added products or to use them as reservoirs of chemical energy (fuels). However, at the same time they are typically quite thermodynamically stable, so that their utilization requires an activation step. The topic of this conference will thus be concerned with various aspects of small molecule activation, with a focus on molecular insights. It provides a stimulating and interdisciplinary environment for both senior scientists and young researchers to discuss latest progress in the field.

Key Sessions

1. H₂ Activation
2. N₂ Activation
3. N_xO_y Activation
4. O₂ Activation
5. H₂O₂ Activation
6. Reactive N_xH_y Species
7. CO_x Chemistry 
8. C_xH_y Conversion

2016 SMA Poster Prize

We will be providing a prize to the best young investigator talk (A Wiley book and $300) and further prizes for the two best posters (1st- a Wiley book and $150, 2nd Place- a Wiley book). We are also delighted to offer one poster presenter an opportunity to give a short talk.

Confirmed Plenary Speakers

Paul Chirik (Princeton University)
EXPLORING CARBON NEUTRAL METHODS FOR THE INTERCOVERSION OF AMMONIA WITH ITS ELEMENTS
Marc Fontecave (Collège de France)
CATALYSTS FOR CO₂ REDUCTION: FROM MOLECULES TO SOLIDS 
Etsuko Fujita (Brookhaven National Laboratory)
CO₂ HYDROGENATION AND FORMIC ACID DEHYDROGENATION BY HALF-SANDWICH CP*IR COMPLEXES WITH PROTON-RESPONSIVE LIGANDS IN WATER
Zhaomin Hou (RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science)
ACTIVATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF H2, N2 AND CO2 BY TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXES
Kenneth Karlin (Johns Hopkins University)
COPPER AND HEME-COPPER DIOXYGEN BINDING, STRUCTURES AND REACTIVITY

Confirmed Invited Speakers

Theodor Agapie (California Institute of Technology)
CLEAVAGE AND COUPLING OF CO WITH MOLYBDENUM COMPLEXES SUPPORTED BY LIGANDS WITH PENDANT ARENE MOIETIES 
Andrew Ashley (Imperial College London)
TEACHING OLD COMPOUNDS NEW TRICKS: EFFICIENT N2 FIXATION BY SIMPLE Fe(N2)(DIPHOSPHINE)2 COMPLEXES 
Karen Goldberg (University of Washington)
REACTIONS OF LATE TRANSITION METAL ORGANOMETALLIC COMPLEXES WITH MOLECULAR OXYGEN 
Franc Meyer (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)
BIOINSPIRED DIOXYGEN ACTIVATION AT HIGHLY PREOGANIZED DICOPPER SITES
Ronny Neumann (Weizmann Institute of Science)
A VANADIUM SUBSTITUTED POLYOXOMETALATE, H₅PV₂Mo₁₀O₄₀ AS A CATALYST FOR ELECTRON TRANSFER-OXYGEN TRANSFER OXIDATIONS.  A UNIQUE COMPOUND FOR UNIQUE TRANSFORMATIONS
Christopher Pickett (University of East Anglia)
PHOTOELECTROCATALYSIS AT P-TYPE SILICON: CO2 REDUCTION, H2 GENERATION AND PHOTOELECTROSYNTHESIS OF AMMONIA 

Confirmed Invited Short Talks

Victor Adamian (BP)
OXYGEN AND HYDROCARBON ACTIVATION IN COMMERCIAL OXIDATION OF PARA-XYLENE TO TEREPHTHALIC ACID 
Didier Bourissou (Université Paul Sabatier)
CO₂ FIXATION/TRANSFORMATION WITH PHOSPHINE-BORANES, PHOSPHINE-ALANE PT COMPLEXES AND NON-INNOCENT PD PINCER COMPLEXES
George Britovsek (Imperial College London)
ETHYLENE OLIGOMERIZATION BEYOND SCHULZ-FLORY DISTRIBUTIONS
Bas de Bruin (University of Amsterdam)
CATALYTIC RADICAL-TYPE TRANSFORMATIONS;
CATALYTIC REACTIVITY OF COII & ‘CARBENE AND NITRENE RADICALS’
Anna Company (Universitat de Girona)
SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES AND OXIDIZING REACTIVITY OF TWO HIGH-VALENT Ni-OXYGEN SPECIES
Liang Deng (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry)
LOW-COORDINATE LOW-VALENT IRON AND COBALT COMPLEXES WITH NHC LIGATION: SYNTHESIS, REACTIVITY, AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN DINITROGEN ACTIVATION 
Holger Dobbek (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
CO/CO₂ ACTIVATION BY HETEROMETALLIC NI ENZYMES
Josh Figueroa (University of California-San Diego)
SUBSTRATE ACTIVATION AND DYNAMICS BY TRANSITION METAL ISOCYANIDES  
T. Brent Gunnoe (University of Virginia)
TRANSITION METAL CATALYZED OLEFIN HYDROARYLATION: NEW ROUTES FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF ALKYL AND VINYL ARENES
Cameron Jones (Monash University)
THE STABILIZATION AND "TRANSITION METAL-LIKE REACTIVITY OF LOW OXIDATION STATE/LOWCOORDINATION NUMBER P-BLOCK COMPLEXES
Arjan Kleij (ICIQ)
SMALL MOLECULE CATALYSIS USING CO₂: ACCESS TO VALUABLE ORGANIC MOTIFS
Yunho Lee (KAIST)
SMALL MOLECULE TRANSFORMATION AT A LOW-VALENT METAL CENTER SUPPORTED BY A PEP PINCER LIGAND
Jean-Philip Lumb (McGill University)
DRIVING SYNTHESIS BY OXIDATION
Christine McKenzie (University of Southern Denmark)
SELECTIVELY HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL REACTIVITY OF O₂ 
Leslie Murray (University of Florida)
SYNTHESIS AND REACTIVITY OF TRIMETALLIC COMPLEXES
Stefan Roggan (Bayer Technology Services)
BENT CARBON SURFACE MOIETIES AS ACTIVE SITES ON CARBON CATALYSTS FOR PHOSGENE SYNTHESIS
Chris Scarborough (Emory University) 
Bert Sels (KU Leuven)
REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES IN TMI-ZEOLITES
Grit Daniela Straganz (Technische Universität Graz)
ENZYMATIC MONONUCLEAR NONHEME FE(II) CENTERS: THE ROLE OF THE PROTEIN ENVIRONMENT IN TUNING O2 DEPENDENT CATALYSIS
Matthias Tamm (Technische Universität Braunschweig)
CATALYTIC ALKYNE AND DIYNE METATHESIS
Christine Thomas (Brandeis University)
APPLICATIONS OF HETEROBIMETALLIC COMPLEXES TO THE ACTIVATION OF SMALL MOLECULES SUCH AS CO₂ AND HYDRAZINE
Adam Veige (University of Florida)
TRIANIONIC PINCER LIGANDS AND THEIR ROLE IN METAL CATALYZED CYCLIC POLYMER SYNTHESIS
Robert Wolf (Universität Regensburg)
BENZYLIC C−H BOND OXYGENATION AND OXIDATIVE CHLORINATION BY FLAVIN PHOTOCATALYSIS

Target Audience

Researchers concerned with the binding and conversion of small molecules at metal centres.