CAREER: Multimetallic Architectures for Dioxygen Chemistry with First-Row Transition Metals

在这个由化学系化学合成计划资助的项目中，加州理工学院化学和化学工程系的Theodor Agapie教授将合成多核金属络合物，并研究它们形成和断裂O-O键的能力。由于生物催化剂和多相催化剂在多金属位置上执行氧气化学，小分子结构和功能合成模型的合成将使人们更好地理解与催化有关的团簇化学。将详细研究团簇结构对物理和化学性质以及氧气反应性的影响。这些研究集中在地球上丰富的第一排过渡金属上，长期目标是开发实用而廉价的氧气化学催化剂。该项目的教学部分整合了实验室研究的与能源和催化相关的化学方面，覆盖了洛杉矶地区的高中生和教师，以及本科生和研究生。本研究对了解生物和多相反应机理具有重要意义，并在有机分子的化学键能量储存和功能化方面具有潜在的应用。在碳中性能源转换为燃料和药物合成的背景下，这些领域对社会具有广泛的重要性。阿加皮教授将建立教师-研究小组伙伴关系和暑期研讨会，特别关注在科学领域代表性不足的群体的学生。参与研究工作的本科生和研究生将接受合成化学方面的培训，并将发展一种为他们的科学和非科学社区做出贡献的文化，预计这种文化将持续很长时间。

In this project funded by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Theodor Agapie of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology will synthesize multinuclear metal complexes and study their ability to form and break O-O bonds. Since biological and heterogeneous catalysts perform dioxygen chemistry at multimetallic sites, the synthesis of small-molecule structural and functional synthetic models will afford a better understanding of cluster chemistry broadly relevant to catalysis. Detailed studies of the effect of cluster structure on physical and chemical properties, and oxygen reactivity will be performed. These studies are focused on earth abundant first-row transition metals, with the long-term goal of developing practical and inexpensive catalysts for oxygen chemistry. The educational components of this project integrate aspects of chemistry related to energy and catalysis researched in the laboratory and reach high school students and teachers from the Los Angeles area, and undergraduates and graduate students.The present studies are significant in understanding biological and heterogeneous reaction mechanisms and have potential applications in energy storage in chemical bonds and functionalization of organic molecules. These areas are of broad importance to society in the context of carbon-neutral energy conversion to fuels and synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Professor Agapie will establish teacher-research group partnerships and summer workshops with a special focus on students from groups underrepresented in sciences. Undergraduate and graduate students involved in the research efforts will be trained in synthetic chemistry and will develop a culture of contributing to their scientific and non-scientific communities that is expected to last well beyond their formative years.