CAREER: SusChem: Catalytic Selective Oxidation of Benzene and Related Aromatics with Earth-Abundant Metals

在这项由化学系化学催化计划资助的项目中，埃默里大学的克里斯托弗·C·斯卡伯勒教授正在开发用于氧化反应的新型催化剂。与目前的工业路线相比，催化转化生产商品化学品的环境和经济成本大大降低。这种催化剂是一种新型的簇合物催化剂，源于地球上丰富的元素，旨在利用环境空气中的氧气来驱动氧化反应。关于结构、反应活性和催化性能的详细研究正在进行中，长期目标是开发出最佳催化剂，以取代能源密集型工业过程，特别是目前用于年产70亿公斤苯酚的Hock过程。该项目旨在开发新型无机催化剂，围绕钙和铜中心建立，有可能实现芳烃的氧化，最初是过氧化氢，如果成功的话，最后是分子氧。苯酚氧化的这种方法代表了一个根本的新方向，因此，该司认为这是从发展可持续化学的角度探讨的一个重要方向，特别是发展富含地球的金属的新催化工艺。斯卡伯勒教授的外展努力旨在促进STEM学科中代表性不足的群体的纳入，并激励优秀学生继续深造化学。他为大亚特兰大地区的无机化学家建立了一个协作研讨会，汇聚了来自该地区学院和大学的教师、博士后学者和学生，主要来自本科生机构(包括那些在STEM领域服务于代表性不足的群体的机构)和主要研究机构。斯卡伯勒教授正致力于通过一个导师项目，通过实验室实习和参与一个正在修订本科化学课程的团队，培训有天赋的高中生，从而激励年轻人在STEM学科继续深造。

In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Christopher C. Scarborough of Emory University is developing novel catalysts for oxidation reactions. The catalytic transformation generates commodity chemicals at significantly diminished environmental and economic cost compared to current industrial routes. The catalysts are novel cluster catalysts derived from earth abundant elements and are designed to use oxygen from ambient air to drive the oxidation reactions. Detailed studies correlating structure, reactivity, and catalytic performance are ongoing with the long-term goal of generating optimal catalysts for replacing energy-intensive industrial processes, in particular the Hock Process that is currently employed in the annual production of seven billion kilograms of phenol. This project seeks to develop novel inorganic catalysts, built around Ca and Cu centers with the potential to achieve arene oxidation, initially with hydrogen peroxide, and eventually, if successful, with molecular oxygen. This approach to phenol oxidation represents a fundamentally new direction, and as such, the Division sees this as an important direction to explore from the point of view of developing sustainable chemistry, in general, and new catalytic processses with earth abundant metals, in particular. Professor Scarborough's outreach efforts are designed to improve inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines and to inspire high-achieving students to pursue advanced studies in chemistry. He has established a collaborative symposium for inorganic chemists in the greater Atlanta area that brings together faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students from colleges and universities across the region, with participation from primarily undergraduate institutions (including those serving under-represented groups in STEM fields) and major research institutions. Professor Scarborough is working to inspire young people to pursue advanced studies in STEM disciplines through a mentorship program that trains gifted high school students through laboratory internships as well as through participation in a team that is revising the undergraduate chemical curriculum.