First name,Last name,Preferred title,Overview,Position,Department,Individual
Donald,Darensbourg,Distinguished Professor,"The fundamentally interesting and challenging chemistry associated with carbon dioxide, coupled with its high potential as a source of chemical carbon, provides adequate justification for comprehensive investigations in this area. In our research program we have attempted to establish a clearer mechanistic view of carbon-hydrogen, carbon-carbon, and carbon-oxygen bond forming processes resulting from carbon dioxide insertion into M-H, M-C, and M-O bonds.
Relevant to the latter process our research has addressed the utilization of carbon dioxide in the development of improved synthetic routes for the production of polycarbonates. The hazardous and expensive production process currently in place industrially for these materials involves the interfacial polycondensation of phosgene and diols, accentuates the need for these studies. Although we and others have made significant advances in the synthesis of these useful thermoplastics from carbon dioxide and epoxides much of the fundamental knowledge concerning the reaction kinetics of these processes is lacking, due in part to the practical challenges associated with sampling and analyzing systems at elevated temperatures and pressures. This information is needed for making this process applicable to the synthesis of a variety of copolymers possessing a range of properties and uses. Our studies are examining in detail the mechanistic aspects of metal catalyzed carbon dioxide/epoxide coupling reactions employing in situ spectroscopy methods. For this purpose Fourier-transform infrared attenuated total refluctance (FTIR/ATR) spectroscopy is being utilized. Other related investigations involve the development of structural and reactivity models for the industrially prevalent double metal cyanide catalysts(DMC) used in polyethers and polycarbonate synthesis from epoxides or CO2/epoxides, respectively.",Distinguished Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n06bf3bf8
Marcetta,Darensbourg,Distinguished Professor,"Bio-inspired Catalysts for Hydrogen Production: The ultimate, home-run, goal of our work is to synthesize and develop a robust, highly active hydrogen-producing catalyst comprised of earth-abundant transition metals within a ligand environment that is inspired by the biological Figure 3hydrogenase (H2ase) enzyme active sites. Progress in precise structural modeling of the illusive ""rotated"" structure displayed in the as-isolated, mixed-valent FeIIFe state in the past decade has permitted in depth analysis of electronic structure by Mo ssbauer, EPR (ENDOR), and computational chemistry. New electrocatalysts for hydrogen production: The connection between the Fe(NO)2 unit and the Fe(CX)3 (X = O or N) unit found in hydrogenase enzyme active sites offers opportunity for design of new catalysts, one of which is shown. In this regard we explore the ability of N2S2 metal complexes to bind as metallodithiolate ligands to various metal acceptors. The properties of such complexes vary The connection of these to light harvesting molecules for dye sensitized, sacrificial electron donor, hydrogen production is also of interest. When Iron Meets Nitric Oxide: Good Chemistry, Intriguing Biology. The affinity of iron for diatomic molecules, O2, CO, N2, and NO, is central to the most important of life processes, including those of human physiology. Figure 6In this research area we target synthetic chemistry involving dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) that serve as biomimetics of products of FeS cluster degradation by excesses of NO, or as derived from the chelatable iron pool (CIP) in cells. The electronic ambivalence of the DNIC unit is expressed in the ease with which it interconverts between oxidized and reduced forms, {Fe(NO)2}9 and {Fe(NO)2}10, respectively (Enemark/Feltham notation), and serves as impetus to explore analogous reactions known to involve the CuII/CuI redox couple. The accessory ligands which stabilize one redox level over the other, including N-heterocyclic carb",Distinguished Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6f445741
Lei,Fang,Associate Professor,"The multi-disciplinary research programs in the Fang Group will focus on the bottom-up synthesis and processing of novel organic polymer materials -- namely, ladder and coplanar polymers, as well as microporous polymer networks -- for the applications on electronics and energy conversion/storage. Our thrust will be to gain profound understanding on the structure-property relationship of these materials at both the molecular and the macroscopic levels by employing the toolboxes of synthetic chemistry and device engineering. With this knowledge, we aim to establish a series of synthetically feasible, high performing, processable organic carbon-based material systems for field effect transistors, light emitting diodes, solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries, and to be at the forefront in the enhancement of their efficiencies.",Faculty Affiliate||Associate Professor||Associate Professor,Energy Institute||Materials Science and Engineering||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne3bd8752
David,Bergbreiter,Professor,"Our group explores new chemistry related to catalysis and polymer functionalization using the tools and precepts of synthetic organic chemistry to prepare functional oligomers or polymers that in turn are used to either effect catalysis in a greener, more environmentally benign way or to more efficiently functionalize polymers. Often this involves creatively combining the physiochemical properties of a polymer with the reactivity of a low molecular weight compound to form new materials with new functions. These green chemistry projects involve undamental research both in synthesis and catalysis but has practical aspects because of its relevance to practical problems.
A common theme in our catalysis studies is exploring how soluble polymers can facilitate homogeneous catalysis. Homogeneous catalysts are ubiquitously used to prepare polymers, chemical intermediates, basic chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Such catalysts often use expensive or precious metals or expensive ligands or are used at relatively high catalyst loadings. The products often contain traces of these catalysts or ligands - traces that are undesirable for esthetic reasons or because of the potential toxicity of these impurities. Both the cost of these catalysts of these issues require catalyst/product separation - separations that often are inefficient and lead to chemical waste. These processes also use volatile organic solvents - solvents that have to be recovered and separated. Projects underway in our lab explore how soluble polymers can address each of these problems. Examples of past schemes that achieve this goal in a general way as highlighted in the Figure below.
We also use functional polymers to modify existing polymers. Ongoing projects involve molecular design of additives that can more efficiently modify polymers' physical properties. We also use functional polymers in covalent layer-by-layer assembly to surface polymers' surface chemistry.",Faculty Affiliate||Professor,Energy Institute||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf01e95dd