Descrizione del progetto
Un modo versatile di produrre olefine a valore aggiunto
La dimerizzazione è un processo attraverso il quale due molecole di analoga composizione chimica reagiscono tra loro, formando di conseguenza un dimero. Secondo quanto dimostrato dalla ricerca, sia la stabilità che la selettività a livello catalitico nella dimerizzazione degli alcheni sui siti a base di nichel vengono potenziate quando gli stati di transizione delle fasi elementari sono solvatati da liquidi non polari. Il progetto Pores4Olefins, finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, intende migliorare la comprensione degli effetti esercitati dalla solvatazione sulla dimerizzazione degli alcheni in siti a base di cobalto fornendo nuovi indizi sulle loro conseguenze cinetiche e meccanicistiche ricorrendo a un approccio a metodo misto. La ricerca svolta nell’ambito del progetto potrebbe fornire un modo versatile di produrre olefine a valore aggiunto e sostanze chimiche associate, con applicazioni promettenti nell’industria petrolifera e, in particolare, nelle bioraffinerie del futuro.
Obiettivo
This fellowship aims at establishing the researcher as an expert in the field of heterogeneous catalysis—becoming an independent leader researcher in the EU—through interdisciplinary scientific (e.g. chemical engineering, organic and inorganic chemistry, materials and surface science) and transferable skills training (e.g. project management). The researcher, Dr. Jorge Quesada, will join the LSAC research group at UC Berkeley (USA) under the supervision of Prof. Enrique Iglesia, and will be reintegrated (EU) into the CRC research group at the Universidad de Oviedo (Spain) under the supervision of Prof. Salvador Ordóñez.
Recent findings in LSAC have demonstrated that both the catalytic stability and selectivity in the alkene dimerization on Ni-based sites are enhanced when the transition states of the elementary steps are solvated by non-polar liquids. The liquid phase is formed at the reaction temperature by capillary condensation of the solvent molecules within the pores of the material used as the active sites support. This project proposes to augment the understanding of the solvation effects on the alkene dimerization on Co-based sites—by building knowledge on their kinetic and mechanistic consequences through a mixed-methods approach—and translational research that leverages these results to other similar C-C bond forming reactions of alkenes—metathesis and hydroarylation on Mo- and Ni-based sites, respectively. This technology strategy would allow the combination of ethene dimerization and metathesis resulting in an industrial one-pot ethene-to-propene process of significant potential impact—the project engages an industrial collaborator by an intersectoral secondment. This research is likely to provide a novel versatile technology for the production of value-added olefins and related chemicals, with promising applications in the current oil industry and, especially, in future biorefineries; therefore, having a positive impact on the EU society and competitiveness.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
33003 OVIEDO
Spagna