Coordination Chemistry Relevant to Environmental Challenges
Presented by Dr. Sungho Park
Abstract:
Transition metal complexes display remarkable reactivity in small molecule binding and functionalization. This puts inorganic chemists in a good position to tackle environmental challenges using coordination chemistry. In this talk, I will present ruthenium and zirconium-based molecules and materials relevant to dinitrogen reduction, CO₂ capture, and catalysis. The photoreactivity of Ru and Ru₂ azido complexes was harnessed to deliver H equivalents to nitrogen. Changing the supporting ligand environment along with metal nuclearity (Ru vs. Ru₂) enabled elucidation of favorable design elements that aid the formation of metal nitrido complexes and the formation of N–H bonds. The facile homocoupling of Ru₂ nitrido species encourages their immobilization onto supports such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). To this end, zirconium-based nanoscale MOFs were synthesized, taking advantage of their robust nature and high surface area to volume ratio. In particular, the colloidally stable UiO-66 nanocrystals' surface ligand exchange was amenable to study using liquid phase characterization techniques. The tunable coordination chemistry of UiO-66 nanocrystals enables the exploration of MOF-based materials for CO₂ capture and encapsulation of molecular catalysts.
