The Chemistry of CO2 and Nitrogen-Containing Bases

二氧化碳经常被憎恨，因为它是导致全球变暖的气体。然而，从发电厂和其他行业收集的二氧化碳废物可以以使其有用的方式回收。我的研究计划的长期目标是找到废二氧化碳的新应用，重点是二氧化碳与有机碱的反应或有机碱促进的反应。这项工作包括将CO2转化为有用的产品，使用CO2作为临时工艺助剂，以及相关研究，如有机碱的绿色合成。拟议的工作分为三个主题。有机碱化学CO2化学通常需要金属催化剂和/或有机碱如胺。制备胺和聚合胺的常用方法产生被盐严重污染的水性废物。我们将寻求一个更绿色的过程。在第二个项目中，我们将开发能够以前所未有的方式与CO2反应的金属络合物，将CO2结合在金属原子和有机碱（如脒或胍）之间。主题2.避免使用易燃溶剂。在这个主题中，我们将评估一种新的方法，使用CO2，从水中分离有机化合物，如生物衍生产品。分离是化学品制造中最耗能的步骤，特别是在从生物质生产化学品的过程中。如果新方法比传统方法需要更少的能源，那么这可以使社会更容易使用可持续的原料。在第二个项目中，我们将确定CO2响应溶剂是否可以通过a）促进反应和B）促进反应后产物从溶剂中分离来简化某些有机产品的制造过程。可切换多相催化剂。 在化学制造中，如果催化剂能够选择性地依次催化一个反应和另一个反应;催化一个反应，然后在分离过程中保护自己免受空气影响;或者根据操作员当时的愿望改变其从一种产品到另一种产品的化学选择性，那么催化剂可能会更加有用。我们将开发这种催化剂。总的来说，这些项目将导致加拿大社会所需的化学品的绿色制造方法，消耗更少的能源，使用更可持续的原料（生物质和二氧化碳），并减少金属或含氯废物的产生。学生将在绿色化学研究计划中接受培训，强调技术技能，沟通技巧，创造力，安全性和学习广度。为了鼓励学习的广度，我让学生与其他学科的教师，行业，专利代理人和加拿大绿色中心互动。为了鼓励创造性和发明性，鼓励学生为他们的项目做出智力贡献，因此经常被命名为我们的专利申请的发明人。

Carbon dioxide is often hated because it's the gas that causes global warming. However, the waste CO2 that's collected from power plants and other industries can be recycled in ways that make it useful. The long term goal of my research program is to find new applications of waste CO2, with an emphasis on reactions of CO2 with, or promoted by, organic bases. This work includes conversion of CO2 into useful products, the use of CO2 as a temporary process aid, and related research such as greener syntheses of organic bases. The proposed work is divided into three themes.Theme 1. Chemistry of Organic Bases. CO2 chemistry often requires metal catalysts and/or organic bases such as amines. A common method of preparing amines and polymeric amines produces aqueous waste that is heavily contaminated with salts. We will seek a greener process. In a second project, we will develop metal complexes that can react with CO2 in an unprecedented manner, binding the CO2 between a metal atom and an organic base such as an amidine or guanidine. Theme 2. Avoiding Flammable Solvents. In this theme, we will evaluate a new method, using CO2, for separating organic compounds such as bio-derived products from water. Separations are the most energy-costly steps in chemical manufacturing, especially in the production of chemicals from biomass. If the new method requires less energy than traditional methods, then this could make it easier for society to use sustainable feedstocks. In a second project, we will determine whether CO2-responsive solvents can simplify the process of manufacturing some organic products by both a) promoting the reaction and b) facilitating the post-reaction separation of the products from the solvent.Theme 3. Switchable Heterogeneous Catalysts. In chemical manufacturing, catalysts could be even more useful if they had the ability to selectively and sequentially catalyze one reaction and then another; to catalyze a reaction and then protect themselves from air during separation; or to change their chemoselectivity from one product to another depending on what the operator wished at the time. We will develop such catalysts. Overall, these projects will lead to methods for the greener manufacturing of the chemicals needed by Canadian society, consuming less energy, using more sustainable feedstocks (biomass and CO2) and decreasing the production of metal- or chlorine-containing waste.Students will be trained in a research program in green chemistry, emphasizing technical skills, communication skills, creativity, safety, and breadth of learning. In order to encourage breadth of learning, I have students interact with faculty in other disciplines, with industry, with patent agents, and with GreenCentre Canada. In order to encourage creativity and inventiveness, students are encouraged to contribute intellectually to their projects and are consequently often named as inventors on our patent applications.