A major objective of chemical engineers and organometallic chemists is the development of new catalysts or reaction pathways to improve reaction rates and ultimately lower energy demands. One method of overcoming the stability in certain molecules is to utilize ultraviolet light as an alternative source of energy to conventional thermal energy sources. We employ a unique approach to the long-standing scientific issue of how one can convert light energy into useful chemical energy for the synthesis of molecules. Photochemically generated rhodium monocarbonyl species, from well-known Rh(CO)2 species supported on Al2O3 surface, are capable of activating the C=O bond of CO2, C-H bonds in alkanes, H-H bonds in H2, etc. This demonstrates an interesting and potentially useful route to the utilization of CO2 and other thermodynamically stable molecules as feedstocks for the photochemical production of products. Infrared spectroscopic evidence for room temperature photon-assisted catalytic oxidation of CO on supported Rh(CO)2 and its proposed mechanism will be presented. Progress in the preparation of supported Rh(PF3)2 catalysts will be discussed as well as preliminary evidence for the catalytic conversion of PF3 and CO2 into POF3 and CO.
Back to Inorganic Chemistry II (General Session)
Back to The 56th Southeast Regional Meeting 2004 (November 10-13, 2004)