The Chemical Catalysis Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports Professor Richard Finke of Colorado State University, for the detailed structural investigation of Ziegler-nanocluster hydrogenation catalysts based on the elements cobalt and iridium. The goal of this work is to understand the true nature of the catalytic species in solution, and to optimize catalyst structure in a streamlined industrial process. A particularly important goal of this research is to determine why a decrease in metal concentration in these catalyst systems leads to an increase in catalytic rate.
The practical impact of this research is potentially enormous, given that the major user of these catalysts is, and continues to be, the chemical industry. It is highly relevant to other areas of industrial importance beyond hydrogenation, such as olefin polymerization. Indentifying the actual catalysts and the factors that control their behavior may lead to logical approaches to the improvement and invention of new Ziegler-type catalysts. In terms of broader impacts, this research will expose both undergraduate and graduate students to important industrial processes, which is a rare occurrence in academic pure science environments. The mentoring and training of students in a wide variety of skills, from organometallic synthesis to spectroscopy, is a major feature of this work.
