Design of Catalysts for Cooperative Substrate Activation

在化学学部化学催化项目的资助下，密歇根大学安娜堡分校的Nathaniel Szymczak教授正在领导一项关于合成新型催化剂的研究项目。这种新型催化剂通过“多点相互作用”结合起始材料。这种新方法提供了一种控制化学反应的方法，与传统方法不同。该项目研究催化剂结构如何影响化学反应的速度和选择性。一个目标反应是碳氢键的分裂。另一个主题是测试一氧化碳在金属-碳键中的插入。这两个过程都是燃料、商品化学品和药品生产的基础。Szymczak教授还在制定一项全国推广计划，让学生参与科学研究和数据解释方面的工作。为了进一步提高年轻学生的科学素养，他和他的研究生和本科生在当地的活动和学校与学生接触。在化学学部化学催化项目的资助下，密歇根大学安娜堡分校的Nathaniel Szymczak教授正在探索在有机分子中建立和破坏与碳的化学键的新策略。这些反应是化学合成的核心，涉及许多工业部门，包括石化、材料开发和制药生产。在这个项目中，Szymczak教授正在开发包含多个反应位点的过渡金属化合物，以便使用广泛可用的化学原料促进困难的化学反应。这种方法推进了开发可持续化学生产分子催化剂所需的基础科学，其目标策略是促进廉价化学前体的高度特异性化学反应，适用于许多领域。这项工作的更广泛影响包括发现低能量化学转化策略的社会效益，这些策略最终可能适用于地球上丰富的金属。此外，本科生和研究生正在接受跨学科的科学培训，为他们在教学、工业化学、国家实验室或公共政策方面的职业生涯做好准备。Szymczak教授正在开发一个跨多个机构级别的全国性系列会议，让学生参与科学研究和数据解释方面的工作。为了进一步提高年轻学生的科学素养，他和他的研究生和本科生在许多当地活动和学校与学生接触。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With funding from the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Nathaniel Szymczak of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor is leading a research project on the synthesis of new kinds of catalysts. The new catalysts bind starting materials by "multipoint interactions". This new approach provides a way to control chemical reactions and differs from traditional methods. The project examines how catalyst structures affect the speed and selectivity of the chemical reactions. One target reaction is the splitting of carbon-hydrogen bonds. Another theme tests the insertion of carbon monoxide into metal-carbon bonds. Both processes underpin the production of fuels, commodity chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Professor Szymczak is also developing a national outreach program to engage students in aspects of scientific research and data interpretation. To further raise scientific literacy among younger students, he and his graduate and undergraduate students are engaging with students at local events and schools.With funding from the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Nathaniel Szymczak of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor is uncovering new strategies to make and break chemical bonds to carbon in organic molecules. These reactions are central in chemical synthesis, encompassing many industrial sectors, including petrochemical, materials development, and pharmaceutical production. In this project, Professor Szymczak is developing transition metal compounds that contain multiple reactive sites in order to promote difficult chemical reactions using widely available chemical feedstocks. This approach advances the basic science needed to develop molecular catalysts for sustainable chemical production by targeting strategies that promote highly specific chemical reactions from cheap chemical precursors, applicable to many fields. The broader impacts of this work include societal benefits from the discovery of low-energy chemical conversion strategies that might ultimately be adapted to earth-abundant metals. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students are undergoing interdisciplinary scientific training to prepare them for careers in teaching, in industrial chemistry, at a national lab, or in public policy. Professor Szymczak is developing a nationwide meeting series across multiple institutional levels to engage students in aspects of scientific research and data interpretation. To further raise scientific literacy among younger students, he and his graduate and undergraduate students are engaging with students at numerous local events and schools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.