Assistant Professor
B. Sc. Université Laval 2010
M. Sc. Université Laval (Prof. Frédéric-Georges Fontaine)
Ph. D. Université Laval (Prof. Frédéric-Georges Fontaine, 2015)
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Holger Braunschweig, 2016-2020)
Honor and Awards
CAS Future Leader Award 2019
NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellowship
FRQ-NT Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Prix Étudiant-Chercheur Étoile (FRQ-NT 2015)
Honor Board (Université Laval)
Mention of Excellence for a Thesis and its Defense (Université Laval)
NSERC Doctoral Scholarship (ES-D)
Mention of Excellence for the Doctoral Seminar (Université Laval)
FRQ-NT Doctoral Scholarship
Award for Outstanding Doctoral Exam (Université Laval)
FRQ-NT Master Scholarship
NSERC Graham-Bell Scholarship for Master Studies
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2010)
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2009)
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2008)
Admission Scholarship (Université Laval)
Contact Information
Office: OM427
Phone: 514-398-4400 ext. 00307
Email: ma.legare [at] mcgill.ca
Webpage: Legare Group Website
Research Areas
- Green Chemistry
- Synthesis / Catalysis
- Materials Chemistry
- Computational Modelling
Research Interests
Research in the Légaré group aims at pushing the boundaries of sustainable synthesis and materials by unlocking the potential of the main group elements. We design, study, and implement catalytic systems that allow the synthesis of value-added products without making use of precious metals. Most of our catalysts contain only globally available, earth-abundant elements of the p and s blocks.
Our research is really focused on studying what the role the main group elements in catalysis and in organic materials can be. We are particularly interested in harnessing these elements to perform reactions that the transition elements remain unable to mediate. We combine predictive computations with rigorous experimental methods to solve complex and high-impact problems. Our two-pronged approach allows us to stay ahead of the game and to unleash our creativity in order to design unique strategies for catalysis.
Representative Publications (mentored)
Légaré, M.-A.; Rang, M.; Bélanger-Chabot, G.; Schweizer, J. I.; Krummenacher, I.; Bertermann, R.; Arrowsmith, M.; Holthausen, M. C.; Braunschweig, H. “The Reductive Coupling of Dinitrogen”, Science 2019, 363, 1329-1332.
Légaré, M.-A.; Bélanger-Chabot, G.; Dewhurst, R. D.; Welz, E.; Krummenacher, I.; Engels, B.; Braunschweig, H. “Nitrogen Fixation and Reduction at Boron”, Science 2018, 359, 896-900.
Légaré, M.-A.; Pranckevicius, C.; Braunschweig, H. “The Metallomimetic Chemistry of Boron”, Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 8231-8261.
Braunschweig, H.; Krummenacher, I.; Légaré, M.-A.; Matler, A.; Radacki, K.; Ye, Q. “Main-Group Metallomimetics –Transition Metal-like Photolytic CO Substitution at Boron” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 1802-1805.
Légaré, M.-A.; Rochette, É.; Légaré Lavergne, J.; Bouchard, N.; Fontaine, F.-G. “Bench-Stable Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry : Fluoroborate Salts as Precatalysts for the C-H Borylation of Heteroarenes” Chem. Commun, 2016, 52, 5387-5390.
Légaré, M.-A.; Courtemanche, M.-A.; Rochette, É.; Fontaine, F.-G. “Metal-Free Catalytic C-H Bond Activation and Borylation of Heteroarenes” Science, 2015, 349, 513-516.
Currently Teaching