Catalytic Minimalism from Nature

南佛罗里达大学化学系李俊明教授在化学系无机、生物无机和有机金属计划的支持下，基于一类天然极简体系-金属多肽的结构、活性和机制开发结构-活性关系。具体来说，金属蛋白和天然金属多肽的金属结合部位将作为寻求氧化和羟基化反应(儿茶酚和苯酚)的构效关系的蓝图。这一研究结果有望为金属-氧化学提供分子和机理基础，并为绿色化学合成催化剂的进一步设计提供依据。这个项目的本科生和研究生将在无机化学、化学和生物催化以及物理方法(通过光学光谱和磁共振技术的动力学和热力学)方面获得跨学科培训。本科生尤其被鼓励在职业生涯早期参与研究，因为这可以更好地为研究生或其他专业课程做好准备。

Professor Li-June Ming, Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program of the Chemistry Division to develop structure-activity relationships based on the structures, activities and mechanisms of a family of natural minimalistic systems - metallopeptides. Specifically, metal-binding sites of metalloproteins and natural metallopeptides will serve as the blueprints for the pursuit of the structure-activity correlations in oxidation and hydroxylation reactions (catechols and phenol). The results of the proposed research are expected to provide a molecular and mechanistic basis for metal-oxygen chemistry and to further the design of catalysts for green chemical synthesis. Undergraduate and graduate students in this project will gain interdisciplinary training in inorganic chemistry, chemical and biological catalysis, and physical methods (kinetics and thermodynamics via optical spectroscopy and magnetic resonance techniques). Undergraduates are particularly encouraged to become involved in research early in their careers as this better prepares them for graduate or other professional programs.