Cov tshuaj lom neeg tshwm sim nyob ib puag ncig peb txhua lub sijhawm - pom tseeb thaum koj xav txog nws, tab sis muaj pes tsawg tus ntawm peb ua nws thaum peb pib lub tsheb, rhaub qe, lossis ua kom peb cov nyom?
Tus kws tshaj lij txog tshuaj lom neeg Richard Kong tau xav txog cov tshuaj lom neeg. Hauv nws txoj haujlwm ua tus "kws kho kom zoo," raws li nws hais, nws tsis yog tsuas yog xav paub txog cov lus teb uas tshwm sim ntawm lawv tus kheej xwb, tab sis kuj xav paub txog cov lus teb tshiab.
Ua ib tug Klarman Fellow hauv Chemistry thiab Chemical Biology ntawm College of Arts and Sciences, Kong ua haujlwm los tsim cov catalysts uas tsav cov tshuaj lom neeg mus rau qhov tshwm sim xav tau, tsim cov khoom muaj kev nyab xeeb thiab txawm tias muaj nqis ntxiv, suav nrog cov uas tuaj yeem muaj qhov cuam tshuam zoo rau tus neeg. kev noj qab haus huv. Hnub Wednesday.
"Muaj ntau yam tshuaj lom neeg tshwm sim yam tsis muaj kev pab," Kong hais, hais txog kev tso cov pa roj carbon dioxide thaum lub tsheb hlawv roj av. "Tab sis cov tshuaj lom neeg nyuaj dua thiab nyuaj dua tsis tshwm sim tau. Qhov no yog qhov uas cov tshuaj catalysis los ua si."
Kong thiab nws cov npoj yaig tau tsim cov tshuaj catalysts los coj cov tshuaj tiv thaiv uas lawv xav kom tshwm sim. Piv txwv li, carbon dioxide tuaj yeem hloov mus ua formic acid, methanol, lossis formaldehyde los ntawm kev xaiv cov tshuaj catalyst zoo thiab sim nrog cov xwm txheej tshuaj tiv thaiv.
Raws li Kyle Lancaster, Xib Fwb ntawm Chemistry thiab Chemical Biology (A&S) thiab Kong tus thawj coj, Kong txoj kev qhia haum zoo nrog txoj kev "tsav los ntawm kev tshawb pom" ntawm Lancaster lub chaw kuaj mob. "Richard muaj lub tswv yim siv tin los txhim kho nws cov tshuaj lom neeg, uas yeej tsis tau muaj nyob hauv kuv tsab ntawv," Lancaster hais. "Nws muaj ib qho catalyst uas tuaj yeem hloov cov pa roj carbon dioxide, uas tau tham txog ntau hauv xov xwm, mus rau hauv ib yam dab tsi muaj nqis dua."
Kong thiab nws cov neeg koom tes nyuam qhuav tshawb pom ib lub kaw lus uas, nyob rau hauv qee qhov xwm txheej, tuaj yeem hloov cov pa roj carbon dioxide mus rau hauv cov kua qaub formic.
"Txawm hais tias peb tseem tsis tau teb tau zoo tshaj plaws, peb lub kaw lus tuaj yeem hloov kho tau raws li qhov xav tau," Kong hais. "Ua li no, peb tuaj yeem pib nkag siab tob dua vim li cas qee cov tshuaj catalysts ua haujlwm sai dua li lwm tus, vim li cas qee cov tshuaj catalysts zoo dua. Peb tuaj yeem hloov kho cov kev teeb tsa ntawm cov tshuaj catalysts thiab sim nkag siab tias dab tsi ua rau cov no ua haujlwm sai dua, vim tias lawv ua haujlwm sai dua, lawv ua haujlwm zoo dua, koj tuaj yeem tsim cov molecules sai dua."
Ua ib tug Klarman Fellow, Kong kuj tseem tab tom ua haujlwm los tshem tawm cov nitrates, ib qho chiv uas feem ntau nkag mus rau hauv cov dej, ntawm ib puag ncig thiab hloov lawv mus ua cov tshuaj tsis muaj teeb meem ntxiv, nws hais.
Kong tau sim siv cov hlau uas pom muaj nyob hauv ntiaj teb, xws li txhuas thiab tin, ua cov tshuaj ua kom lub ntiaj teb muaj zog. Cov hlau no pheej yig, tsis muaj tshuaj lom thiab muaj ntau nyob hauv lub ntiaj teb lub plhaub, yog li kev siv lawv yuav tsis ua rau muaj teeb meem kev ruaj khov, nws hais.
"Peb kuj tab tom ua haujlwm rau yuav ua li cas los ua cov catalysts uas ob lub hlau sib cuam tshuam nrog ib leeg," Kong hais. "Los ntawm kev siv ob lub hlau hauv ib lub moj khaum, peb tuaj yeem tau txais cov tshuaj tiv thaiv thiab cov txheej txheem tshuaj lom neeg zoo li cas los ntawm cov kab ke bimetallic?"
Cov hav zoov yog qhov chaw uas muaj cov hlau no nyob - lawv tseem ceeb heev rau kev qhib lub peev xwm ntawm cov hlau no los ua lawv txoj haujlwm, ib yam li koj xav tau cov khaub ncaws zoo rau huab cua zoo, Kong hais.
Tau 70 xyoo dhau los no, tus qauv yog siv ib lub chaw hlau los ua kom muaj kev hloov pauv tshuaj lom neeg, tab sis nyob rau kaum xyoo dhau los no, cov kws tshuaj lom neeg hauv daim teb no tau pib tshawb nrhiav kev sib koom ua ke ntawm ob lub hlau, txawm tias yog tshuaj lom neeg lossis nyob ze. Ua ntej, Kong hais tias, "Nws muab kev ywj pheej ntau dua rau koj."
Cov tshuaj catalysts bimetallic no muab rau cov kws tshuaj lom neeg lub peev xwm los sib xyaw cov tshuaj catalysts hlau raws li lawv lub zog thiab qhov tsis muaj zog, Kong hais. Piv txwv li, lub chaw hlau uas sib txuas tsis zoo rau cov substrates tab sis tawg cov bonds zoo yuav ua haujlwm nrog lwm lub chaw hlau uas tawg cov bonds tsis zoo tab sis sib txuas zoo rau cov substrates. Qhov muaj cov hlau thib ob kuj cuam tshuam rau cov khoom ntawm thawj cov hlau.
"Koj tuaj yeem pib tau txais qhov peb hu ua kev sib koom ua ke ntawm ob lub chaw hlau," Kong hais. "Lub tshav pob ntawm bimetallic catalysis twb pib qhia qee qhov kev ua haujlwm tshwj xeeb thiab zoo kawg nkaus."
Kong hais tias tseem muaj ntau yam tsis meej pem txog seb cov hlau sib txuas ua ke li cas hauv cov tshuaj molecular. Nws zoo siab rau qhov zoo nkauj ntawm cov tshuaj lom neeg ib yam li nws zoo siab rau cov txiaj ntsig. Kong raug coj mus rau Lancaster Laboratories rau lawv qhov kev txawj ntse hauv X-ray spectroscopy.
"Nws yog kev sib koom ua ke," Lancaster hais. "X-ray spectroscopy tau pab Richard nkag siab txog yam uas tab tom tshwm sim tom qab thiab yam ua rau tin tshwj xeeb tshaj yog ua haujlwm thiab muaj peev xwm ua rau cov tshuaj no. Peb tau txais txiaj ntsig los ntawm nws txoj kev paub ntau txog cov tshuaj lom neeg tseem ceeb, uas qhib lub qhov rooj rau pawg neeg mus rau thaj chaw tshiab."
Nws tag nrho los txog rau qhov yooj yim chemistry thiab kev tshawb fawb, Kong hais tias, thiab txoj hauv kev no ua tau los ntawm Open Klarman scholarship.
"Hnub ib txwm, kuv tuaj yeem khiav cov tshuaj tiv thaiv hauv chav kuaj lossis zaum ntawm lub khoos phis tawj simulate cov molecules," nws hais. "Peb tab tom sim kom tau txais daim duab tiav ntawm kev ua haujlwm tshuaj lom neeg li sai tau."