CAREER: Deciphering Reductive Transformations of Heteroallenes at Bimetallic Platforms

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In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Stanislav Groysman of Wayne State University will investigate cooperative reductive transformations at bimetallic platforms. The research conducted in this project is motivated by the need to develop new efficient catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction. Reductive coupling of carbon dioxide provides a cost-efficient pathway leading to the higher-chain organic chemicals. Reductive splitting of carbon dioxide leads to the formation of fuels, carbon monoxide and methanol. The goal of the current project is to determine the factors controlling the nature of the reductive transformation of carbon dioxide, and to develop new catalysts for its reduction. The broader impacts of this program include the potential for the development of catalysts for the transformation of carbon dioxide into organic chemicals and fuels, as well as raising a new generation of scientists educated about the chemistry of small molecules crucial to the fields of energy and the environment.The focus of the project is on the reductive coupling and reductive splitting of carbon dioxide and related heteroallenes. The goals are (1) to uncover key factors in the molecular chemistry of carbon dioxide determining the fate of its reductive transformation and (2) to develop new molecular catalysts for the reductive transformations of carbon dioxide. These goals will be achieved via structure-reactivity studies on bimetallic complexes featuring various geometric and electronic parameters (i. e. the distance between the metals and the nature of the ancillary ligands). The educational components of this program encompass the incorporation of a short course on the chemistry of small molecule activation into the existing curricula of undergraduate and graduate classes, conducting collaborative research with local undergraduate institutions, and developing interest in chemistry among high-school students in the area.