CAREER: Configuring New Bonds Between First-row Transition Metals

在这个由化学合成计划资助的项目中，明尼苏达大学双城分校的康妮·卢教授将开发具有金属-金属键的第一排双金属络合物。两类互补的第一排双金属对被瞄准：(I)早-晚过渡金属对(例如，吸附在氧化物载体上的晚过渡金属颗粒是典型的非均相催化剂)，以及(Ii)中-晚过渡金属对(c.f。在金属酶中发现的多金属位置)。利用一种新型的配体平台，将以模块化的方式构建不同的金属对，并进行系统的比较。双金属物种的结构、光谱和电子表征将揭示密切的成键关系。这项工作将导致关于如何通过学术选择金属对来调整金属-金属键的电子性质和反应性的基础知识。特别是，所提议的双金属物种对二氧化碳等小分子的激活可能会导致可持续化学的变革性发现。在一个相关的努力中，一个由学生创建并由社区编辑的在线资源将向公众提供对这一研究领域的结果和相关文献的访问。卢教授将把广受欢迎的太阳能氢活动研究工具包(SHARK)--几所高中和大学的推广项目--改造成一个面向中学女生的太阳能研讨会。

In this project funded by the Chemical Synthesis Program, Professor Connie Lu at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities will develop first-row bimetallic complexes with metal-metal bonds. Two complementary classes of first-row bimetallics are being targeted: (i) the early-late transition metal pair (e.g. a late metal particle adsorbed on an oxide support is typical of heterogeneous catalysts), and (ii) the mid-to-late transition metal pair (c.f. the multimetallic sites found in metalloenzymes). By using a novel ligand platform, diverse metal pairs will be constructed in a modular fashion and compared systematically. Structural, spectroscopic, and electronic characterization of the bimetallic species will reveal intimate bonding relationships.This work will result in fundamental knowledge of how to tailor the electronic properties and reactivities of metal-metal bonds through scholarly choice of the metal pairings. In particular, activation of small molecules such as carbon dioxide by the proposed bimetallic species may lead to transformative discovery in sustainable chemistry. In a related effort, a student-created and community-edited online resource will provide public access to the results and relevant literature of this research field. Professor Lu will adapt the popular Solar Hydrogen Activity Research Kit (SHArK), an outreach program in several high schools and universities, to a solar energy workshop for middle school girls.