Descrizione del progetto
Innovativi approcci di ingegneria molecolare per creare catalizzatori del gruppo principale
La catalisi è essenziale per quasi tutte le reazioni chimiche di rilevanza socio-economica, in quando ne accelera la velocità rendendo la produzione fattibile su larga scala. I catalizzatori a base di metalli di transizione sono da decenni il cavallo di battaglia dell’attivazione dei legami chimici. La spinta verso una chimica più ecologica e maggiormente sostenibile ha generato nuovi catalizzatori costituiti da alternative poco costose e presenti in abbondanza in natura, i cosiddetti elementi del gruppo principale. Il progetto B-yond, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà nuove strategie di ingegneria molecolare per progettare rivoluzionari catalizzatori del gruppo principale basati su architetture molecolari senza precedenti. Questi catalizzatori d’avanguardia stimoleranno l’innovazione dedicata a processi chimici sostenibili ed efficienti in termini di costi.
Obiettivo
The activation of chemical bonds is fundamental to every chemical transformation. While reactions mediated by transition-metal catalysts are known for more than a century, the last decade witnessed spectacular developments in the emerging area of catalysis mediated by non-metallic species. Among these new chemical entities made from earth-abundant and inexpensive main-group elements, Lewis acid-base pairs and bifunctional element/ligand systems mimicking the behavior of transition-metals rapidly revolutionized the activation modes of chemical bonds.
In the project B-yond, I will establish new molecular engineering strategies and develop unprecedented main-group catalysts embedded in cage-shaped and curved molecular scaffolds. Ground-breaking molecules escaping the established structural theories will become the initial focus of my project, including the creation of non-planar B, Al, C and Si centered Lewis superacids with unmatched reactivities. I will push the frontiers of knowledge of chemical bonding by exploring unusual boron-elements bonding situations and advance the design of main-group catalysts beyond the state-of-the-art. Unprecedented C-H bond functionalization processes will be developed and exploited for hydrocarbons transformation through the concept of “low reorganization energy catalysts”. The activation of dinitrogen with unique main-group superacids and bases will finally be tackled, a pioneering step toward the uncharted territory of catalytic N2 activation and conversion without transition-metal complexes.
These goals will be accomplished through a multidisciplinary approach built on my expertise in mechanistic investigations, spectroscopic and kinetics methods, organometallic and main group chemistry. The project B-yond will deliver extraordinary solutions for chemists to reach new chemical reactivities beyond the actual limits and will inspire scientists to develop innovative sustainable and cost-effective chemical processes.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-AG - HORIZON Action Grant Budget-BasedIstituzione ospitante
5000 Namur
Belgio