RUI: Combatting Organophosphate Pesticides with New Molybdenum-based Catalysts in Water

国家科学基金会化学部的环境化学科学项目支持刘易斯和克拉克学院的郭路易教授的研究，该研究将涉及本科生。研究性研究将在有机合成、化学催化、配位和磷化学等多个领域进行。在郭教授的指导下，本科生将积极参与以假设为基础的调查，收集数据并分析不同化学学科的结果。其结果的书面和口头传播将在当地和国际场所进行传播。PI在与本科生合作涉及OP化学的项目方面有着良好的记录。在过去的20年里，PI指导了37名本科生和高中生，并与学生合著出版了21份出版物。该项目的另一个突出特点是通过暑期研究让高中生和一名高中教师参与进来。这一合作将影响STEM教育，并可能有助于提高学生对可持续环境化学的兴趣。这项研究将研究普通、空气稳定和安全的钼氧化物络合物对含硫有机磷(OP)的催化水解。接受检查的有机氯农药是含硫化合物，分为两类。第一类是模型化合物O，S-二乙基苯基硫代膦(DEPP)，在该模型化合物中，进一步的衍生化很容易完成；DEPP也是OP神经毒素的安全模拟物。第二类化合物是常见农业用途的“活”有机磷杀虫剂，它们是亚硫磷、毒死蜱和马拉硫磷。该项目提供了含硫农药水解性降解的机理信息。这一基础研究集中在OP通过亲核攻击进行的水解和氧代钼酸盐对磷酸盐的活化。它还测试了土壤(即粘土)如何影响这些新的钼络合物对OP水解的各种途径。研究结果将为了解土壤对农药降解的重要水解过程的影响提供基础。

The Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation supports the research of Professor Louis Y. Kuo at Lewis and Clark College that will involve undergraduate students. Inquiry-based research will be performed in diverse fields including organic synthesis, chemical catalysis, and coordination and phosphorus chemistry. With Professor Kuo's guidance, undergraduates will actively participate in a hypothesis-based investigations driven by the collection of data and the analysis of results spanning different chemical disciplines. Written and oral dissemination of their results will be communicated at local and international venues. The PI has a proven track record of working with undergraduates on projects involving OP chemistry. In the past 20 years, the PI has mentored 37 undergraduate and high school students and has produced 21 publications with student coauthors. Another outstanding feature of this project is the outreach and involvement of high school students and a high school teacher through summer research. This collaboration will impact STEM education and potentially contribute to greater interest by students in sustainable environmental chemistry.The research will examine the catalytic hydrolysis of sulfur-containing organophosphates (OP) by common, air stable and safe molybdenum oxide complexes. The OP under examination are sulfur-containing compounds that fall into two classes. The first class is the model compound O,S-diethylphenyl phosphonothioate (DEPP) in which further derivatizations are readily accomplished; DEPP also serves as a safe mimic of OP neurotoxins. The second class of compounds is "live" OP pesticides in common agricultural uses which are Phosmet, Chlorpyrifos and Malathion. This project provides mechanistic information on the hydrolytic degradation of sulfur-containing pesticides. This fundamental investigation focuses on OP hydrolysis through nucleophilic attack and phosphate activation by oxo-molybdates. It also tests how soil (i.e. clay) affects the various routes for OP hydrolysis by these new molybdenum complexes. The research results will provide fundamental understanding of soil-effects on important hydrolytic processes for pesticide degradation.