CAREER: SusChem: Catalytic Selective Oxidation of Benzene and Related Aromatics with Earth-Abundant Metals

In this project funded by the Chemical Catalysis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Christopher C. Scarborough of Emory University is developing novel catalysts for oxidation reactions. The catalytic transformation generates commodity chemicals at significantly diminished environmental and economic cost compared to current industrial routes. The catalysts are novel cluster catalysts derived from earth abundant elements and are designed to use oxygen from ambient air to drive the oxidation reactions. Detailed studies correlating structure, reactivity, and catalytic performance are ongoing with the long-term goal of generating optimal catalysts for replacing energy-intensive industrial processes, in particular the Hock Process that is currently employed in the annual production of seven billion kilograms of phenol. This project seeks to develop novel inorganic catalysts, built around Ca and Cu centers with the potential to achieve arene oxidation, initially with hydrogen peroxide, and eventually, if successful, with molecular oxygen. This approach to phenol oxidation represents a fundamentally new direction, and as such, the Division sees this as an important direction to explore from the point of view of developing sustainable chemistry, in general, and new catalytic processses with earth abundant metals, in particular. Professor Scarborough's outreach efforts are designed to improve inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines and to inspire high-achieving students to pursue advanced studies in chemistry. He has established a collaborative symposium for inorganic chemists in the greater Atlanta area that brings together faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students from colleges and universities across the region, with participation from primarily undergraduate institutions (including those serving under-represented groups in STEM fields) and major research institutions. Professor Scarborough is working to inspire young people to pursue advanced studies in STEM disciplines through a mentorship program that trains gifted high school students through laboratory internships as well as through participation in a team that is revising the undergraduate chemical curriculum.