Highly Robust Transition Metal Complexes with E-Substituted Phosphines (E = Si, Ge, Sn) Grafted onto Metal-Organic Frameworks for Dehydrogenative Functionalization

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis Program in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Virginia Montiel-Palma of Mississippi State University is investigating catalysts that add silicon to alkene substrates in a dehydrogenative fashion to form valuable building blocks for pharmaceutical application, medical and dental implants, and many everyday materials.

Translating catalysts from the research laboratory to industry is a huge challenge. Not only do catalysts often have to be immobilized onto a solid support, but the material needs to be robust and retain the desired properties. By using state-of-the-art methods to study how these catalysts work at the molecular level, Dr.

Montiel-Palma and her research group are applying this fundamental insight to design new improved catalysts that are more active and cost-efficient. Specific molecular changes are also being made to the catalysts to determine their effect on their reactivity and stability. In partnership with the Mississippi Migrant Education Center, Dr.

Montiel-Palma is also giving a series of informal STEM lessons and activities for students K-12. These students are children of migratory workers with income sources in agriculture, fisheries, and other primary activities. They constitute one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society.

Dr. Montiel-Palma is using this activity to address scientific topics aimed at motivating these students to finish secondary education and enrich their educational pathways.

Dr. Virginia Montiel-Palma and her research group will conduct a systematic study of dehydrosilylation catalysts grafted to metal-organic framework (MOF) supports. The catalysts are being tuned at both their pincer-like ligand sites as well as in the pore size, chemical properties, and structural stability of the MOF.

A multifaceted characterization plan is being used to interrogate the catalytic materials and the mechanism of dehydrosilylation using these materials. The insights gained from these investigations are to be used to further inform structural changes in an iterative catalyst development process. Taken together, these activities are expected to provide a foundational profile of the catalyst system and help design more efficient and robust dehydrosilylation systems.

These studies will be conducted with a team of graduate and undergraduate students carrying out the synthetic, mechanistic, and computational aspects of this project utilizing state-of-the-art technologies. These experiences will provide multi-faceted training in support of a diverse workforce.

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.