This project is addressing the synthesis of catalysts with designs inspired by enzymes, Nature's premier catalysts. Enzymes catalyze reactions up to a million times faster than synthetic catalysts. Moreover, they do so with unparalleled selectivity, producing only the desired product. If industrial catalysts performed as well as enzymes, then commercial reactions could be conducted with greatly reduced energy costs and waste generation. With this motivation, Dr. Gadzikwa and her research group at Kansas State University are developing enzyme-inspired catalysts for the efficient conversion of petroleum raw materials into chemical feedstocks for the pharmaceutical industry. A significant portion of the work in this project is being conducted by novice researchers. The Gadzikwa lab is thus providing valuable laboratory research experience for undergraduates. Dr Gadzikwa is enhancing the participation of underrepresented groups in science by engaging first-generation and underrepresented minority students. Outreach to the public is being made by facilitating activities for elementary school children at the Flint Hills Discovery Center, for middle-schoolers through the KState Girls Researching Our World (GROW) program, and for high school students at the KState Annual Chemistry & Physics Symposium.
Chiral amines, frequently occurring constituents of biologically active molecules, are currently accessed via an inefficient 3-step industrial process. These valuable products could potentially be obtained more efficiently via the hydroamination of unfunctionalized internal alkenes, which are produced on a large scale via petrochemical processes. Unfortunately, the reactions of these so-called unbiased olefins are prohibitively too slow and indiscriminate to undertake industrially. To address these problems, Dr. Gadzikwa's lab is co-opting the strategies of enzymes and transferring them onto the solid-state scaffold of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials. This work is motivated by the hypothesis that the combination of three of the most distinguishing characteristics of enzymes - (i) catalytic sites isolated within shape-selective, confined spaces, (ii) side chains within the cavities that promote and direct the reaction, and (iii) flexibility that allows the cavity to strongly bind all species in the reaction pathway - will result in solid-state catalysts whose activities and selectivities will finally render the reactions of unbiased olefins industrially feasible. This project involves MOF synthesis and functionalization, both of which are amenable to the busy schedules of undergraduate researchers. The Gadzikwa lab draws students from the Kansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (KS-LSAMP) and the KState Developing Scholars Program for first generation university students. The Gadzikwa lab also seeks to broaden participation via public outreach, routinely participating in activities to promote Chemistry to Kansas' K-12 students.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
