Discovering Hidden Nanocluster Catalysis

无机化学、生物无机化学和金属有机化学项目的这一奖项支持科罗拉多州立大学的理查德·G·芬克博士区分真正的均相催化剂和隐藏的纳米团簇或其他非均相催化剂的研究。要研究的系统跨越了一系列催化反应，其中催化剂是均相还是多相纳米催化剂的问题仍然没有答案。将研究的反应包括：芳烃加氢、烷烃活化和功能化、镍基聚合物加氢、溶胶-凝胶包埋催化剂和离子液体中的催化。该研究小组采用了一种5步法，可以更快、更可靠地确定真正催化剂的性质。本研究试图通过研究纳米团簇作为均相催化和多相催化之间的关键概念桥梁，来建立多金属纳米团簇或其他多相催化剂由单金属均相催化剂形成的规则。这项研究将对催化科学的发现和理解产生影响。让妇女和来自代表性不足群体的学生参与强调旨在区分不同假设的实验的项目，也将对教学、培训和学习产生影响。与其他大学的4000名研究人员以及与一家工业公司的伙伴关系预计将加强科学和教育基础设施。

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Dr. Richard G. Finke at Colorado State University to distinguish between true homogeneous catalysts and hidden nanocluster or other heterogeneous catalysts. Systems to be studied span a range of catalytic reactions where the question of whether the catalyst is homogeneous or a hetereogeneous nanocatalyst remains unanswered. Reactions to be studied include: arene hydrogenation, alkane activation and functionalization, nickel-based polymer hydrogenations, sol-gel entrapped catalysts, and catalysis in ionic liquids. This research group employs a 5-step method allowing the nature of the true catalyst to be established more rapidly and reliably. This study endeavors to establish the "rules" whereby polymetallic nanocluster or other heterogeneous catalysts are formed from monometallic homogeneous precatalysts by investigating nanoclusters as a key conceptual bridge between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. This research will impact discovery and understanding in the science of catalysis. Teaching, training and learning will also be impacted by involving women and students from underrepresented groups in projects that emphasize experiments aimed at distinguishing between alternative hypotheses. Partnerships with 4 researchers at other universities and with an industrial company are expected to enhance science and education infrastructure.