Project Descriptions
Brookhaven
National Laboratory
Project Description The proposed project involves the study of novel triruthenium
carbonyl clusters that contain both bridging hydride ligands and chiral
sugar moieties. In order to meet the ever-increasing energy demands of
our society and to overcome the problem of rapidly depleting fossil fuel
reserves, we urgently need to learn how to efficiently harness sources
of renewable energy. The most attractive of these is solar energy, since
more energy from the Sun strikes the Earth’s surface in one hour
than the total energy consumption of the planet in one year. To make
good use of solar energy, new photocatalysts that absorb sunlight and
perform functions similar to those that occur naturally during photosynthesis
in green plants must be designed. The aim of this project is to synthesize
and investigate a series of potential photocatalysts that could act as
hydrogen atom donors in the reduction of carbon dioxide to useful chemicals
and clean fuels. These catalysts have the added advantage that they are
chiral, meaning that they have potential for use in enantioselective
synthesis. The catalysts will be synthesized and their bridging hydride
ligands identified by low temperature NMR studies. The photophysics and
photochemistry of the clusters will also be investigated using a variety
of transient spectroscopic techniques, including UV/visible transient
absorption and time-resolved infrared spectroscopy on the nanosecond
timescale. This will involve directly monitoring H-atom transfer from
the clusters to a variety of unsaturated substrates including ketones,
and also to carbon dioxide.
Applicants Responsibilities and Relationship to Project
Qualifications of Ideal Candidate
Support and Financial Commitments For More Information contact:
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