RUI: CAS: Development of Iron Catalysts for Sustainable, Selective Oxidations and Reductions

化学系的化学催化项目支持葛底斯堡学院蒂莫西·芬克教授的研究。该项目的目标是开发基于铁的安全和可持续的催化剂。催化剂可以加快化学反应的速度。由于环境原因，它们也很重要，因为它们可以促进所需产品的形成，产生较少的废物和不需要的副产品。金属基催化剂是常见的，但许多是从稀有元素衍生的。铁可以是一个更好的选择，因为它的高地球丰度的催化。Funk教授正在设计一种铁基催化剂，它可以与生物质中的化学物质结合使用。生物质是一种以植物为基础的起始材料，价格低廉，资源丰富。该项目的一部分集中在这些新催化剂促进的键形成和键断裂步骤的细节上。这些信息使得能够设计更有效的改进催化剂。该项目支持来自不同背景的本科生的实践培训。培训强调在环境考虑的背景下化学催化。通过这种培训，该项目正在为学生在先进制造等技术领域的职业生涯做准备，从而支持国家的经济实力。在美国国家科学基金会化学催化计划的支持下，葛底斯堡学院的蒂莫西·芬克教授正在开发基于铁的可持续催化还原和氧化工艺。空气和水分稳定的双官能铁化合物催化转移氢化和脱氢反应。植物基化合物充当氢供体和受体。用相对稳定的生物质衍生化合物取代反应性氧化剂和还原剂可以提高这些过程的安全性和可持续性。特别是，Funk教授正在探索配体结构的细微差异如何影响双功能铁催化剂的反应性和选择性。此外，Funk小组正在研究底物结构和氢供体或受体的还原电位如何改变该过程。深入了解这些因素如何影响催化剂的反应性和选择性，导致新的催化工艺的设计和开发。总体而言，目标是开发安全，可持续，选择性醇氧化和羰基还原工艺。来自不同背景的本科生正在接受培训，在开发新的化学工艺时考虑环境影响，并正在开发技能，为他们从事科学研究做好准备。该项目还支持来自不同背景的本科生的实践培训。培训强调在环境考虑的背景下化学催化。通过这项培训，该项目正在为学生在技术领域的职业生涯做好准备，从而支持国家的经济利益。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并且通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

The Chemical Catalysis Program of the Division of Chemistry supports the research of Professor Timothy Funk at Gettysburg College. The goal of this project is to develop safe and sustainable catalysts based on iron. Catalysts increase the speed of chemical reactions. They are also important for environmental reasons because they can promote the formation of the desired products, generating less waste with unwanted by-products. Metal-based catalysts are common, but many are derived from rare elements. Iron can be a better choice for catalysis because of its high earth abundance. Professor Funk is designing iron-based catalysts that work in conjunction with chemicals derived from biomass. Biomass, a plant-based starting material is inexpensive and abundant. Part of the project focuses on the details of the bond-making and bond-breaking steps promoted by these new catalysts. This information enables the design of improved catalysts, which are still more efficient. The project supports the hands-on training of undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. The training emphasizes chemical catalysis in the context of the environmental considerations. Through this training, the project is preparing students for careers in technical fields such as advanced manufacturing, thus supporting the economic strength of the nation. With support from the Chemical Catalysis Program of the National Science Foundation, Professor Timothy Funk at Gettysburg College is developing sustainable catalytic reduction and oxidation processes based on iron. The air and moisture-stable, bifunctional iron compounds catalyze transfer hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions. Plant-based compounds serve as hydrogen donors and acceptors. Replacing reactive oxidants and reductants with relatively stable, biomass-derived compounds increases both the safety and sustainability of these processes. In particular, Professor Funk is exploring how subtle differences in ligand structures affect the reactivity and selectivity of bifunctional iron catalysts. Additionally, the Funk group is examining how substrate structures and the reduction potentials of the hydrogen donors or acceptors modify the process. Insight into how these factors affect catalyst reactivity and selectivity is leading to the design and development of new catalytic processes. Overall, the goal is to develop safe, sustainable, selective alcohol oxidation and carbonyl reduction processes. Undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds are being trained to consider environmental impacts when developing new chemical processes and are developing skills that prepare them for careers in scientific research. The project also supports hands-on training of undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. The training emphasizes chemical catalysis in the context of the environmental considerations. Through this training, the project is preparing students for careers in technical fields, thus supporting the nation's economic interests.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.