This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Prof. Craig L. Hill at Emory University to elucidate the structural, electronic and other physical properties of a newly discovered class of terminal metaloxo complexes of the coinage- and noble-metal elements (primarily gold and silver) and to investigate the ability of these complexes to activate dioxygen and catalyze air-based oxidations. A second goal is to prepare robust chiral microporous solids formed by self assembly of enantiopure polyoxometalates with linking cations and to investigate asymmetric oxidations of alkenes and other organic substrates catalyzed by these materials. A third aim is to develop methods to link large multi-metal polyoxometalates into giant crystalline nanostructures and to investigate the recently documented ability of these giant clusters and structures to catalyze green oxidations with air as the oxidant and water as the solvent.
The systems under study should further the development of green chemistry catalytic systems for selective, atomeconomic, air-based organic oxidations compatible with water. The research will facilitate development of cyber infrastructure, provide tutelage for young scholars through multi-institution interactions and collaborations, including those with several top researchers overseas, via an in-house collaborative scholars program, and lead to the training of women and underrepresented groups in scientific research.
