CCI Phase I: NSF Center for Sustainable Separations of Metals

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The CCI Phase I: Center for Sustainable Separations of Metals, CSSM, is supported by the Centers for Chemical Innovation Program of the Division of Chemistry. This Phase I Center is led by Eric Schelter of the University of Pennsylvania. Other team members from the University of Pennsylvania include Jessica Anna and Joseph Subotnik. Additional team members include Suzanne Bart of Purdue University, George Schatz and J. Fraser Stoddart of Northwestern University, Jonathan Sessler of the University of Texas at Austin, and Jenifer Shafer of the Colorado School of Mines. Metal-containing consumer products are many and include, for example, cell phones that incorporate more than 20 different metals, some of which are in critical or near-critical supply. The goal of CSSM is to design and develop new, fundamental chemical reactions to diversify metal separation science and technologies that enable greater than 99% recycling of post-consumer products and processes at comparable or lower costs than current market prices. CSSM develops new processes to remove, separate and recover each of these metals by designing and developing new synthetic and redox reactions, computational chemistry and theory, and molecular recognition methods. The scientific broader impacts include reduced waste (pollution) and energy consumption and increased national security (by recycling rather than importing). A "Sustainability Ambassadors" program will be established that involves undergraduates and graduate students. The Sustainability Ambassadors are directly involved in research activities while also receiving professional development and public outreach training. Outreach activities at science museums and festivals, as well on social media platforms are planned. The CCI Phase 1: Center for Sustainable Separations of Metals, CSSM, addresses the sustainable production and recycling of metals used in consumer products (e.g., cell phones, laptops, batteries, etc.). Such consumer projects include rare earth elements, precious metals (gold, platinum, and palladium), and other elements in critical or near-critical supply. In addition to being in low natural abundance, such elements often create significant environmental harm either during their mining, purification, separation from consumer goods, and landfilling. The central hypothesis for this project is that new fundamental chemistry applied to separations will enable new and varied modes of metal separations, especially tailored for recycling. New synthetic-, redox-, computational chemistry and theory will be developed to accomplish metal partitioning through electro-kinetic processes. Quantum chemical models and underlying theory, will be developed to study and predict heterogeneous electron transfer rates, including the impact of magnetic fields. Redox active ligands coordinated to metal cations in mixtures will enable predictive and selective metal partitioning through kinetic means. Additionally, new systems will be synthesized that show molecular recognition for metal complexes and ion pairs for selective separations. Tailored recognition of metal complexes and ion pairs by non-covalent interactions will be leveraged to enable green and efficient separations of precious metals, lithium, and rare earth elements using selective precipitation or chromatography. This center will contribute new knowledge in metals separations chemistry that confers benefits in terms of reduced waste and energy consumption, and relief from unsustainable metal supply chains.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.