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

在这个由化学系化学催化项目资助的项目中，克里斯托弗·C·埃默里大学的斯卡伯勒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，催化转化以显著降低的环境和经济成本产生商品化学品。该催化剂是衍生自地球丰富元素的新型簇催化剂，并且被设计为使用来自环境空气的氧气来驱动氧化反应。与结构、反应性和催化性能相关的详细研究正在进行中，其长期目标是生产最佳催化剂，以取代能源密集型工业工艺，特别是目前用于年产70亿公斤苯酚的Hock工艺。该项目旨在开发新型无机催化剂，围绕Ca和Cu中心构建，具有实现芳烃氧化的潜力，最初使用过氧化氢，如果成功，最终使用分子氧。这种苯酚氧化方法代表了一个全新的方向，因此，该司认为这是从发展可持续化学的角度探索的一个重要方向，特别是从开发地球上丰富的金属的新催化过程的角度。 斯卡伯勒教授的外展工作旨在改善STEM学科中代表性不足的群体的包容性，并激励成绩优异的学生继续深造化学。他为大亚特兰大地区的无机化学家建立了一个合作研讨会，汇集了该地区各学院和大学的教师，博士后学者和学生，主要来自本科院校（包括那些在STEM领域服务于代表性不足的群体）和主要研究机构。斯卡伯勒教授正在努力激励年轻人通过导师计划，通过实验室实习以及通过参与正在修订本科化学课程的团队来培训有天赋的高中生，从而在STEM学科中进行高级研究。

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.