SusChEM: Catalytic Activation of Small Molecules by Nickel and Iron Pincer Complexes

凭借这一奖项，化学部门的化学催化项目资助辛辛那提大学的关海荣教授设计、合成和研究利用地球上丰富的金属，如镍和铁的催化剂。这类金属价格低廉，有望成为催化具有重要工业和经济意义的化学过程的基础。例如，将主要温室气体二氧化碳转化为液体燃料，替代药物合成中的有毒试剂，以及从储氢化学品中释放氢。关教授还为一门以催化为重点的实验课程开发研究材料，并为美国化学会SEED项目的学生以及来自STEM领域中代表性不足的群体的学生提供研究机会。在这个项目中，关教授正在研究螯合镍配合物作为催化剂，用二氢将二氧化碳加氢成甲醇，醛胺和环氧化物氰甲基化成-氨基腈和-羟基腈。相关的铁螯合物正被开发用于催化氨硼烷脱氢，表现出作为化学储氢材料的理想性能。人们正在研究这些催化过程的机理细节，包括元素步骤的动力学和热力学，以便合理地设计出更活跃、更健壮的催化剂。该项目的其他更广泛的影响包括开发以研究为基础的实验课程，并与主要的本科院校和当地化学公司合作。

With this award, the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division is funding Professor Hairong Guan of the University of Cincinnati to design, synthesize and study catalysts using earth-abundant metals, such as nickel and iron. Such metals are inexpensive and display promise as the basis for the catalysis of chemical processes that are industrially and economically important. Examples include the conversion of a primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, to liquid fuels, the replacement of toxic reagents in pharmaceutical synthesis, and the release of hydrogen from a hydrogen-storage chemicals. Professor Guan is also developing research-based materials for a laboratory course focusing on catalysis, and providing research opportunities to American Chemical Society Project SEED students as well as to students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. In this project, Professor Guan is studying pincer-ligated nickel complexes as catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol using dihydrogen and the cyanomethylation of aldimines and epoxides to beta-amino nitriles and gamma-hydroxy nitriles. Related iron pincer complexes are being developed to catalyze the dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane, which exhibits desirable properties as a chemical hydrogen-storage material. The mechanistic details of these catalytic processes including the kinetics and thermodynamics of the elemental steps are being studied so that more active and robust catalysts can be designed rationally. Other broader impacts of the project include the development of a research-based laboratory course and collaborations with a primarily undergraduate institution and local chemical companies.