CAREER: Hybrid Borane Platforms for the Activation of Small Molecules of Energy Consequence

大规模储存来自太阳能和风能等间歇性能源的电力是可再生能源发展的一个关键挑战。应对这一挑战的一个有希望的方法是使用可再生电力来生产富含能量的化学燃料，这些燃料可以在必要时储存、运输和使用。这种方法需要能够有效地将水和二氧化碳等惰性分子转化为氢气和甲醇等化学燃料的催化剂。目前，这种催化剂通常来源于昂贵的稀有金属，如铂。为了使燃料的电化学生产更经济可行，需要基于廉价且丰富的元素的新催化剂。在这个由化学部化学合成项目支持的项目中，加州大学滨江分校化学系的William Harman博士正在探索基于碳和硼的平台，这些平台模拟了常用金属催化剂的许多重要特征。它们将二氧化碳还原为燃料和燃料前体的能力正在开发中，廉价的催化剂正在设计中。除了提供研究生和本科生在加州大学河滨分校的培训车辆，这项研究计划纳入了外展到社区学院在内陆南部加州地区的重点是促进在STEM领域的研究机会之间的代表性不足的群体。由于其固有的氧化还原活性和独特的反应模式，过渡金属在电化学小分子活化领域占据主导地位。 最近，基于石墨碳的材料，通常掺杂有杂原子，已经出现用于电催化的应用。本项目是制备卡宾负载的两性离子二硼蒽和二硼蒽与拴系金属离子。这些物质具有氧化还原活性，并且能够偶联电子转移和小分子活化。基于这种行为，催化剂被设计用于从小分子（例如二氧化碳）电化学合成富含能量的物质（例如甲醇）。该研究计划包括为当地社区学院的本科生提供暑期研究经验，以及为该社区提供进一步学习化学的机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The large-scale storage of electricity from intermittent sources such as solar and wind power is a key challenge in the development of renewable energy. One promising approach to this challenge is the use renewable electricity to produce energy-rich chemical fuels that can be stored, transported, and used whenever necessary. This approach requires catalysts that are capable of efficiently converting inert molecules such as water and carbon dioxide into chemical fuels like hydrogen and methanol. Currently, such catalysts are typically derived from expensive, rare metals such as platinum. To make the electrochemical production of fuels more economically feasible new catalysts that are based on inexpensive and abundant elements are needed. In this project supported by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Dr. William Harman, Chemistry Department, University of California - Riverside, is exploring platforms based on carbon and boron that mimic many of the important features of commonly used metals catalysts. Their ability to reduce carbon dioxide to fuels and fuel precursors is being developed and inexpensive catalysts are being designed. In addition to providing a vehicle for the training of graduate and undergraduate students at UCR, this research program incorporates outreach to community colleges in the inland southern California area with a focus on promoting opportunities for study in STEM fields among underrepresented groups. Due to their intrinsic redox activity and unique modes of reactivity, transition metals have dominated the field of electrochemical small molecule activation. Recently, materials based on graphitic carbon, often doped with heteroatoms, have emerged for applications in electrocatalysis. This project is preparing carbene-supported and zwitterionic diboraanthrancenes and diboraanthracenes with tethered metal ions. These species are redox active and are capable of coupling electron transfer and small molecule activation. Based on this behavior, catalysts are designed for the electrochemical synthesis of energy rich species, such as methanol, from small molecules, such as carbon dioxide. This research program incorporates a summer research experience for undergraduates at local community colleges as well as outreach to this community regarding opportunities for advanced study in chemistry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.