Conversion of Carbohydrates to Chemicals Over Bimetallic Catalysts

由于人们普遍预计碳氢化合物资源将在不久的将来供不应求，因此研究人员开发基于碳水化合物等可替代可再生原料的化学工艺和化学产品至关重要。本研究将侧重于生物可再生资源转化为有价值的化学中间体的基础科学催化研究。研究了负载型Ru-Cu双金属催化剂将葡萄糖和山梨醇转化为含氧化学品如多元醇（乙二醇、丙二醇、甘油、丁二醇）的反应性。动力学测量，原位催化剂表征，和理论量子化学计算的反应途径将进行。这项工作是未来催化研究的一个极其重要的方向。该研究人员在双金属催化剂方面的工作得到了广泛的认可，并在该领域做出了重要贡献。成功的动力学测量和EXAFS实验具有很高的前景。涉及红外光谱的其他方面的研究将具有挑战性。涉及理论计算的协作交互完全在弗吉尼亚大学研究人员的预期能力之内。一个涉及少数族裔的优秀项目也已经存在，并且在教育研究生和本科生方面取得了坚实的成就。通过出版物、研讨会和年会传播研究成果是拟议工作的重要组成部分。

Since it is widely expected that hydrocarbon resources will be in short supply in the near future, it is vital that researchers develop chemical processes and chemical products based on alternative renewable feedstocks such as carbohydrates. This research will focus on fundamental scientific catalysis research for the conversion of biorenewable resources to valuable chemical intermediates. The reactivity of supported Ru-Cu bimetallic catalysts will be investigated for the conversion of glucose and sorbitol to oxygenated chemicals such as polyols (ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, butandiol). Kinetic measurements, in situ catalyst characterization, and theoretical quantum chemical calculations of reaction pathways will be performed. This work is an extremely important direction for future catalysis research. The researcher is well recognized for prior work on bimetallic catalysts and has already made important contributions in this area. The prospects for successful kinetic measurements and EXAFS experiments are very high. Other aspects of the research involving infrared spectroscopy will be challenging. Collaborative interactions involving theoretical calculations are well within the expected capability for the researchers at the University of Virginia. An excellent program involving under-represented minorities is also already in existence and there has been a solid level of accomplishment in educating graduate and undergraduate students. Dissemination of the research results through publications, workshops, and annual meetings is an important part of the proposed work.