Design of Catalysts for Cooperative Substrate Activation

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With funding from the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Nathaniel Szymczak of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor is leading a research project on the synthesis of new kinds of catalysts. The new catalysts bind starting materials by "multipoint interactions". This new approach provides a way to control chemical reactions and differs from traditional methods. The project examines how catalyst structures affect the speed and selectivity of the chemical reactions. One target reaction is the splitting of carbon-hydrogen bonds. Another theme tests the insertion of carbon monoxide into metal-carbon bonds. Both processes underpin the production of fuels, commodity chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Professor Szymczak is also developing a national outreach program to engage students in aspects of scientific research and data interpretation. To further raise scientific literacy among younger students, he and his graduate and undergraduate students are engaging with students at local events and schools.With funding from the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Nathaniel Szymczak of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor is uncovering new strategies to make and break chemical bonds to carbon in organic molecules. These reactions are central in chemical synthesis, encompassing many industrial sectors, including petrochemical, materials development, and pharmaceutical production. In this project, Professor Szymczak is developing transition metal compounds that contain multiple reactive sites in order to promote difficult chemical reactions using widely available chemical feedstocks. This approach advances the basic science needed to develop molecular catalysts for sustainable chemical production by targeting strategies that promote highly specific chemical reactions from cheap chemical precursors, applicable to many fields. The broader impacts of this work include societal benefits from the discovery of low-energy chemical conversion strategies that might ultimately be adapted to earth-abundant metals. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students are undergoing interdisciplinary scientific training to prepare them for careers in teaching, in industrial chemistry, at a national lab, or in public policy. Professor Szymczak is developing a nationwide meeting series across multiple institutional levels to engage students in aspects of scientific research and data interpretation. To further raise scientific literacy among younger students, he and his graduate and undergraduate students are engaging with students at numerous local events and schools.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.