In this project funded by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Theodor Agapie of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology will synthesize multinuclear metal complexes and study their ability to form and break O-O bonds. Since biological and heterogeneous catalysts perform dioxygen chemistry at multimetallic sites, the synthesis of small-molecule structural and functional synthetic models will afford a better understanding of cluster chemistry broadly relevant to catalysis. Detailed studies of the effect of cluster structure on physical and chemical properties, and oxygen reactivity will be performed. These studies are focused on earth abundant first-row transition metals, with the long-term goal of developing practical and inexpensive catalysts for oxygen chemistry. The educational components of this project integrate aspects of chemistry related to energy and catalysis researched in the laboratory and reach high school students and teachers from the Los Angeles area, and undergraduates and graduate students.
The present studies are significant in understanding biological and heterogeneous reaction mechanisms and have potential applications in energy storage in chemical bonds and functionalization of organic molecules. These areas are of broad importance to society in the context of carbon-neutral energy conversion to fuels and synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Professor Agapie will establish teacher-research group partnerships and summer workshops with a special focus on students from groups underrepresented in sciences. Undergraduate and graduate students involved in the research efforts will be trained in synthetic chemistry and will develop a culture of contributing to their scientific and non-scientific communities that is expected to last well beyond their formative years.
