Tailoring Enantiospecific Properties of Chiral Metal Nanoclusters on Chiral Metal Oxides

“这项奖励是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。”佛罗里达大学的Aravind R. Asthagiri教授和Jason Weaver教授在化学系ASC项目的支持下，开发了一种在手性金属氧化物表面上生长手性金属纳米结构的新方法，这种方法可以被定制为最佳的对映体选择性。中心假设是金属可以沉积在手性金属氧化物表面上，以获得比可比的手性金属表面具有增强对映选择性的手性金属纳米结构。该研究计划将整合超高真空（UHV）实验，使用扫描隧道显微镜（STM）、程序升温解吸（TPD）和其他表面分析方法，以及DFT计算来研究金属纳米结构形态、反应性和对映体特异性的变化，作为金属氧化物衬底类型和取向的函数。反应性和对映体选择性的变化将用小分子用温度程序解吸来探测。这项工作如果成功，将成为高表面积手性金属纳米结构生长的第一个示范。与现有的手性金属表面相比，这种材料在手性药物的对映纯化和其他手性应用方面更可行，因为它们可以通过更有效地利用金属来提高性能。研究生将接受理论和实验表面技术的培训，本科生和高中生将通过佛罗里达大学的REU计划接触到先进的研究方法。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." Professors Aravind R. Asthagiri and Jason Weaver of the University of Florida are supported by the ASC Program in the Division of Chemistry to develop a new approach to grow chiral metal nanostructures on chiral metal oxide surfaces that can be tailored for optimal enantioselectivity. The central hypothesis is that metals can be deposited on chiral metal oxide surfaces to obtain chiral metal nanostructures with enhanced enantioselectivity over comparable chiral metal surfaces. The research plan will integrate ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) experiments, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and other surface analytical methods, with DFT calculations to study variations in the metal nanostructure morphology, reactivity, and enantiospecificity as a function of metal oxide substrate type and orientation. Changes in reactivity and enantioselectivity will be probed with small molecules using temperature programmed desorption. The proposed work, if successful, will be the first demonstration of the growth of high surface area chiral metal nanostructures. Such materials would be more viable than existing chiral metal surfaces for enantiopurification of chiral drugs and other chiral applications, since they would offer enhanced performance with more efficient use of the metal. Graduate students will be trained in theoretical and experimental surface techniques, and undergraduate and high school students will be exposed to advanced research methodologies through the University of Florida's REU Program.