Professor Eun-Sung Lee's research project goes beyond the limits of existing nucleophilic nitrogen-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) research. It aims to study the synthesis and reactivity of olefin metathesis catalysts introduced with amphoteric NHC and to develop the first iron-based olefin metathesis catalyst based on amphoteric NHC.

The research goal is to expand advanced amphoteric NHC by synthesizing the ruthenium complex of various amphoteric carbines and olefin metathesis reactivity and develop an iron-based olefin metathesis catalyst.

As a catalyst that overcomes the disadvantages of existing olefin metathesis catalysts, various applied areas can be developed. It will be possible to preoccupy the original technology for developing next-generation olefin metathesis catalysts in the future catalyst chemistry market. In addition, through the design-synthesis-analysis of the new amphoteric NHC, it will be able to raise the status of chemical research in Korea by leading research in the field worldwide. NHC development has a lot of room to expand to various fields in the future, so it is considered essential for developing organometallic catalyst research in Korea.