CSE Colloquium Series

ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING DIVISION

 

SPEAKER:         Professor Tobin Marks

                          Northwestern University

 

TITLE:               HOMOGENEOUS AND SUPPORTED ELECTROPHILES IN THE SYNTHESIS OF NEW MATERIALS

                            

TIME:                11:00 am

                          (Refreshments will be available starting at 10:45 am in front lobby)

 

DATE:              Monday, January 28, 2008   

 

PLACE:            Building 200, Auditorium

 

HOST:              Chris Marshall

 

Abstract:  When chemisorbed upon certain metal oxide and halide surfaces, the reactivity of many types of organometallic molecules is dramatically enhanced. High activities for olefin polymerization and hydrogenation are two illustrative consequences of this altered reactivity. This lecture describes chemical and spectroscopic studies using designed organometallic molecules to probe the nature of the molecule-surface coordination chemistry and to understand the reasons for the enhanced reactivity. Such information leads to design rules for the synthesis and spectroscopic/crystallographic/catalytic characterization of functional ion-paired homogeneous phase organometallic models for the surface species. These latter studies lead to not only better understanding of the surface organometallic chemistry and catalysis, but also to better understanding of new classes of “single-site” and “multiple-site” homogeneous olefin polymerization and hydrocarbon oxidation catalysts. Finally, this information can in turn be used to design next-generation homogeneous and supported catalysts and co-catalysts.