RUI: Unusual Earth-Abundant Metal Complexes with Redox-Active Terpyridine Ligands for Reduction Catalysis

在这个项目中，纽约城市大学约翰·杰伊学院的张国奇博士正在开发合成有机硅的新型催化剂。有机硅对社会很重要，因为它们是典型的耐热聚合物，用于密封剂、粘合剂、润滑剂、医药、烹饪用具以及隔热和电气绝缘。目前工业上生产有机硅所用的铂价格昂贵、稀有，而且对矿山造成环境破坏。这项研究的重点是用其他地球上更丰富、更可持续的金属来取代铂。张博士使用锰、钒和铝等金属设计了新的催化剂系列。基于这些廉价金属的催化剂传统上被忽视，因为它们通常是无活性和不稳定的。张博士正在利用附着在金属上的基团来解决这些差距，这种基团可以增强这些金属的反应性。该项目还为本科生提供有机化学和无机化学方面的实践培训。这些学生获得了现代仪器的经验。约翰·杰伊学院拥有大量拉美裔学生，是培养在科学领域代表性不足的学生的理想场所。张博士的目标是研究氧化还原活性联吡啶配体支撑的贱金属络合物的合成、结构和催化性能，以及与有机硅制备相关的催化性能。由锰、钒、铝等地球上丰富的金属和联吡啶型配体组成的新型催化剂因其独特的结构和在还原过程中的催化活性而被探索。它们在催化加氢功能化反应中的应用是为了开发有效的催化剂来取代工业有机硅生产中广泛使用的铂基催化剂。目前正在进行实验和理论相结合的机理研究，以了解配体隔间的重要性，并建立结构-活性关系。张博士积极参与招收和留住少数民族学生进入科学领域，这有助于培养下一代劳动力。这个项目是与John Jay的科学大师研究计划合作完成的。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In this project, Dr. Guoqi Zhang of John Jay College of the City University of New York is developing new catalysts for the synthesis of silicones. Silicones are important to society as they are typically heat-resistant polymers used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking utensils, and thermal and electrical insulation. Silicones are currently industrially made using platinum which is expensive, rare and environmentally-damaging to mine. This research is focusing on replacing platinum with other more Earth-abundant and sustainable metals. Dr. Zhang has designed new families of catalysts using metals such as manganese, vanadium, and aluminum. Catalysts based on these inexpensive metals have traditionally been ignored because they are usually unreactive and unstable. Dr. Zhang is addressing these gaps using group attached to the metal that enhance the reactivity of these metals. This project also provides hands-on training for undergraduate students in both organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry. Experience with modern instrumentation is gained by these students. John Jay College, which has a large Hispanic student population, is an ideal setting to train students who are underrepresented in scientific fields. Dr. Zhang aims to investigate the synthesis, structures and catalytic properties of base metal complexes supported by redox active terpyridine ligands, as well as their catalytic properties relevant to silicone preparation. Novel catalysts composed of Earth-abundant metals including manganese, vanadium and aluminum and terpyridine-type ligands are being explored for their unique structures and catalytic reactivity in reduction processes. Their applications in catalytic hydrofunctionalization reactions are sought to develop effective catalysts to replace platinum-based catalysts that are widely used in industrial silicone production. Mechanistic studies are being carried out based on a combined experimental and theoretical effort, in order to understand the importance of ligand compartment and to establish the structure-activity relationships. Dr. Zhang's active involvement in recruiting and retaining minority students into scientific fields is helping to cultivate the next generation workforce. This project is being done in collaboration with John Jay's Program for Research Initiatives for Science Majors.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.