Tailoring Enantiospecific Properties of Chiral Metal Nanoclusters on Chiral Metal Oxides

“该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。Aravind R.佛罗里达大学的Asthagiri和Jason Weaver得到了化学系ASC计划的支持，他们开发了一种在手性金属氧化物表面生长手性金属纳米结构的新方法，这种方法可以根据最佳的对映选择性进行调整。中心假设是，金属可以沉积在手性金属氧化物表面上，以获得手性金属纳米结构，其对映体选择性比可比较的手性金属表面增强。 该研究计划将整合超真空（UHV）实验，使用扫描隧道显微镜（STM），程序升温脱附（TPD）和其他表面分析方法，与DFT计算研究金属纳米结构形态，反应性和对映体特异性的变化作为金属氧化物基材类型和方向的函数。 反应性和对映选择性的变化将使用程序升温脱附用小分子探测。这项工作如果成功，将是第一次展示高表面积手性金属纳米结构的生长。这样的材料将比现有的手性金属表面更可行，用于手性药物的对映体纯化和其他手性应用，因为它们将提供增强的性能，更有效地使用金属。 研究生将接受理论和实验表面技术的培训，本科生和高中生将通过佛罗里达大学的REU计划接触先进的研究方法。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." Professors Aravind R. Asthagiri and Jason Weaver of the University of Florida are supported by the ASC Program in the Division of Chemistry to develop a new approach to grow chiral metal nanostructures on chiral metal oxide surfaces that can be tailored for optimal enantioselectivity. The central hypothesis is that metals can be deposited on chiral metal oxide surfaces to obtain chiral metal nanostructures with enhanced enantioselectivity over comparable chiral metal surfaces. The research plan will integrate ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) experiments, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and other surface analytical methods, with DFT calculations to study variations in the metal nanostructure morphology, reactivity, and enantiospecificity as a function of metal oxide substrate type and orientation. Changes in reactivity and enantioselectivity will be probed with small molecules using temperature programmed desorption. The proposed work, if successful, will be the first demonstration of the growth of high surface area chiral metal nanostructures. Such materials would be more viable than existing chiral metal surfaces for enantiopurification of chiral drugs and other chiral applications, since they would offer enhanced performance with more efficient use of the metal. Graduate students will be trained in theoretical and experimental surface techniques, and undergraduate and high school students will be exposed to advanced research methodologies through the University of Florida's REU Program.