Molecular-level Design of Heterogeneous Chiral Catalysts

Abstract

Understanding and controlling selectivity is one of the key challenges in heterogeneous catalysis. Among problems in catalytic selectivity enantioselectivity is perhaps the most the most challenging. The primary goal of the project on “Molecular-level Design of Heterogeneous Chiral Catalysts” is to understand the origins of enantioselectivity on chiral heterogeneous surfaces and catalysts. The efforts of the project team include preparation of chiral surfaces, characterization of chiral surfaces, experimental detection of enantioselectivity on such surfaces and computational modeling of the interactions of chiral probe molecules with chiral surfaces. Over the course of the project period the team of PI’s has made some of the most detailed and insightful studies of enantioselective chemistry on chiral surfaces. This includes the measurement of fundamental interactions and reaction mechanisms of chiral molecules on chiral surfaces and leads all the way to rationale design and synthesis of chiral surfaces and materials for enantioselective surface chemistry. The PI’s have designed and prepared new materials for enantioselective adsorption and catalysis. Naturally Chiral Surfaces • Completion of a systematic study of the enantiospecific desorption kinetics of R-3-methylcyclohexanone (R-3-MCHO) on 9 achiral and 7 enantiomeric pairs of chiral Cu surfaces with orientations that span the stereographic triangle. • Discovery of super-enantioselective tartaric acid (TA) and aspartic acid (Asp) decomposition as a result of a surface explosion mechanism on Cu(643)R&S. Systematic study of super-enantiospecific TA and Asp decomposition on five enantiomeric pairs of chiral Cu surfaces. • Initial observation of the enantiospecific desorption of R- and S-propylene oxide (PO) from Cu(100) imprinted with {3,1,17} facets by L-lysine adsorption. Templated Chiral Surfaces • Initial observation of the enantiospecific desorption of R- and S-PO from Pt(111) and Pd(111) modified by a variety of chiral templates. • Demonstrated enantioselective separation of racemic PO on chemically synthesized chiral gold nanoparticles. • Discovery of zwitterionic adsorption states of amino acids on Pd(111). • First structure determinations of adsorbed amino acids and identification of tetrameric chiral template structures. • Exploration of the enantiospecific interaction of PO and R-3-MCHO adsorption on chirally modified Cu(100), Cu(110) and Cu(111). One-to-One Interactions • Determination of cinchona orientation on Pt surfaces in situ at the solid-liquid interface using FT-IRAS. • Systematic study of the influence of solution properties on the adsorption of modified cinchonas alkaloids onto Pt surfaces. • Correlation of cinchona adsorption with catalytic activity, as affected by concentration, the nature of the solvent, and dissolved gases in the liquid phase. • Measurement of enantioselective chemisorption on 1-(1-naphthyl) ethylamine (NEA) modified Pt(111) and Pd(111) surfaces. • Imaging of chiral docking complexes between NEA and methyl pyruvate on Pd(111). Chiral Catalyst Synthesis • Anchoring of cinchona alkaloid to surfaces • Synthesis of chiral Au nanoparticles and demonstration of their enantiospecific interactions with R- and S-PO. • Elucidation of the driving forces for chiral imprinting of Cu(100) by L- and D-lysine to form Cu(3,1,17)R&S facets.