RUI: Combatting Organophosphate Pesticides with New Molybdenum-based Catalysts in Water

美国国家科学基金会化学部的环境化学科学项目支持路易斯·Y。郭在刘易斯和克拉克学院，将涉及本科生。基于探究的研究将在不同的领域进行，包括有机合成，化学催化，配位和磷化学。在郭教授的指导下，本科生将积极参与以假设为基础的调查，通过收集数据和分析不同化学学科的结果。他们的结果将在当地和国际场所进行书面和口头传播。PI在与本科生合作涉及OP化学的项目方面有着良好的记录。在过去的20年里，PI指导了37名本科生和高中生，并与学生合著了21篇出版物。该项目的另一个突出特点是通过暑期研究扩大高中学生和一名高中教师的范围和参与。这项合作将影响STEM教育，并可能有助于提高学生对可持续环境化学的兴趣。该研究将研究常见的、空气稳定的和安全的氧化钼复合物对含硫有机磷酸酯（OP）的催化水解。所研究的OP是含硫化合物，分为两类。第一类是模型化合物O，S-二乙基苯基硫代膦酸酯（DEPP），其中进一步的衍生化很容易完成; DEPP也作为OP神经毒素的安全模拟物。第二类化合物是在农业上常用的“活性”有机磷农药，它们是硫磷、毒死蜱和马拉硫磷。本项目提供了含硫农药水解降解的机理信息。这一基本调查的重点是OP水解通过亲核攻击和磷酸活化的oxo-acidates。它还测试了土壤（即粘土）如何影响这些新的钼络合物水解OP的各种途径。研究结果将为了解土壤对农药降解的重要水解过程的影响提供基础。

The Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation supports the research of Professor Louis Y. Kuo at Lewis and Clark College that will involve undergraduate students. Inquiry-based research will be performed in diverse fields including organic synthesis, chemical catalysis, and coordination and phosphorus chemistry. With Professor Kuo's guidance, undergraduates will actively participate in a hypothesis-based investigations driven by the collection of data and the analysis of results spanning different chemical disciplines. Written and oral dissemination of their results will be communicated at local and international venues. The PI has a proven track record of working with undergraduates on projects involving OP chemistry. In the past 20 years, the PI has mentored 37 undergraduate and high school students and has produced 21 publications with student coauthors. Another outstanding feature of this project is the outreach and involvement of high school students and a high school teacher through summer research. This collaboration will impact STEM education and potentially contribute to greater interest by students in sustainable environmental chemistry.The research will examine the catalytic hydrolysis of sulfur-containing organophosphates (OP) by common, air stable and safe molybdenum oxide complexes. The OP under examination are sulfur-containing compounds that fall into two classes. The first class is the model compound O,S-diethylphenyl phosphonothioate (DEPP) in which further derivatizations are readily accomplished; DEPP also serves as a safe mimic of OP neurotoxins. The second class of compounds is "live" OP pesticides in common agricultural uses which are Phosmet, Chlorpyrifos and Malathion. This project provides mechanistic information on the hydrolytic degradation of sulfur-containing pesticides. This fundamental investigation focuses on OP hydrolysis through nucleophilic attack and phosphate activation by oxo-molybdates. It also tests how soil (i.e. clay) affects the various routes for OP hydrolysis by these new molybdenum complexes. The research results will provide fundamental understanding of soil-effects on important hydrolytic processes for pesticide degradation.