New Organometallic Radical-Cation Based Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Reactions and Materials

University Of Vermont & State Agricultural College, Burlington VT

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract of NSF 0808909: University of Vermont, William Geiger (PI), supported by the Analytical and Surface Science Program of the National Science Foundation Intellectual Summary: Electrochemistry is one of the most versatile tools available to the practicing chemist. Two of the most important areas of applications are in analysis and catalysis. The first of these deals with the identification and quantification of molecules and is critically important to a wide range of needs addressing environmental, biological, and medical problems. The proposed work seeks to develop a new family of analytical 'sensors' based on the idea of labeling the analytical target with a 'marker' that can be turned on and off by the equivalent of an electrical switch. The new marker is derived from an easily prepared manganese complex which can be reversibly switched in an electrolyte medium previously developed at the University of Vermont (UVM). The other major area of inquiry is intended to develop lower-energy and greener ways to utilize simple olefins, which are oil-based organic building blocks, in the preparation of desirable organic compounds that will be of general use to synthetic chemists. A highly efficient electrochemical method will be developed and evaluated with the goal of replacing energy-wasting thermal and photochemical methods by an organometallic rhenium complex which is capable of electro-catalyzing the desired reactions. Broader Impact: In terms of the research results, a successful outcome to the proposed work is expected to broaden the impact of organometallic electrochemistry as a problem-solving method among chemists and biochemists. It is also important for chemists to ask how their efforts might contribute to the daunting task of increasing the efficiency of energy usage in this country and in our world. There are only four important general energy sources at our disposal: nuclear, heat, light, and electricity. Our goal has been, and continues to be, the training of electrochemists to develop advances in the last of these four areas. Graduate students trained in electrochemistry at UVM are employed in a variety of academic, industrial, and government research positions. Because it is important to expand these opportunities to underrepresented groups, this project will offer summer training projects to financially disadvantaged high school students through Project Seed (overseen by the American Chemical Society) and initiate a pilot project which offers a summer research opportunity at UVM to underrepresented undergraduate students from a city-based college having a large minority enrollment. Thanks to their experience in a research group composed of highly-motivated graduate students and postdocs, the high school and visiting undergraduate students will be more aware of their opportunities in pre- and post-graduate higher education, thereby increasing the probability that they will become scientific professionals.