SusChEM: On the Role of Molecular Baskets in the Activation of Hydrocarbons and Stereoselective Recognition in Water

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With increasing rate of the population growth in the world, it is of prime interest to develop novel methods for the effective production of food, pharmaceuticals and advanced materials from sustainable resources and to reduce the reliance on petroleum-based chemicals. As the reserves of natural gas are large, Professor Badjic of Ohio State University explores the development of environmentally friendly and energy efficient ways to convert simple compounds that are abundant in natural gas into more complex structures with desired properties. In addition, his research group designs complex molecular "baskets" and investigates their potential use in chemical separation and as scavengers of toxic substances for cleaning the environment and recycling chemicals. This project enhances cultural and gender diversity by engaging underrepresented minorities and women in research. Outreach activities are designed to educate general public and high school students about the importance of sustainability for the progress of our society. There are two main goals for this project. The first one is to improve our understanding about the role of proximity and molecular encapsulation in the activation of carbon-hydrogen bonds of hydrocarbons. Specifically, Professor Badjic's research group studies the assembly of trivalent ligands and molecular baskets into ionic capsules that bind metal ions and examines their capacity to act as supramolecular catalysts in 'green' aqueous media for converting cheap and abundant hydrocarbons into valuable products. Another goal is to advance our knowledge about the kinetics and thermodynamics of stereoselective encapsulation and provide basic rules for predicting the recognition of chiral substances within the baskets and stereoselective activation of prochiral molecules. The resulting knowledge is expected to facilitate the design of chemical scavengers that can remove toxic substances and recycle useful chemicals from aqueous systems.