Expanding Reductive Chemistry with the f Orbital Metals

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This award in the Chemical Synthesis (SYN) program in the Division of Chemistry at NSF supports work by Professor William J. Evans at the University of California, Irvine, to carry out fundamental studies on redox reactions utilizing the unique properties of the lanthanide and actinide metals. These reduction/oxidation reactions constitute one of the two most basic types of chemical reactions and influence our lives in countless ways. Since the lanthanide and actinide elements represent extremes in the periodic table, they provide an excellent set of metals for expanding the limits of redox reactivity. Activation of small molecules like dinitrogen and nitric oxide will be studied since the redox chemistry of these molecules is critical to making the fertilizer that provides the food for the world and nitric oxide redox chemistry is also crucial to understanding topics as diverse as smog and vasodilation. The project will explore methods to access "virtual" oxidation states of metals that provide redox reactivity even though they have never been isolated. The ligands attached to metals will also be used to generate redox reactivity and develop molecules that can effect multi-electron redox processes. The latter are critical to reactions like solar water splitting that have the potential to provide clean energy without increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.The pervasive nature of redox chemistry means that this research can have a broad impact on science and technology. At the same time, students will be trained in the chemistry of the lanthanide metals, which are a valuable national resource with numerous technological applications, and the actinide metals, whose chemistry is critical to efficient radioactive waste disposal.