Department of Chemistry Seminar – Dr. Keith Searles
About the event
Dr. Keith Searles, Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
University of Florida
Host: Dr. Qiang (Jack) Zhang
Title: Leveraging Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Chemistry in the Catalytic Conversion of Hydrocarbon Substrates
Abstract: Organometallic precursors have proven useful for synthesizing well-defined heterogeneous catalysts using surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC). This approach allows for the development of molecularly defined heterogeneous catalysts from which structure-activity relationships can be readily developed using principles of homogeneous chemistry. Single-site catalysts prepared by SOMC have shown a wide-range of activity in a variety of hydrocarbon transformations involving the activation and formation of C-H and C-C bonds. Described in this seminar are our laboratory’s recent developments in using organometallic precursors of group IV and V transition metals to prepare catalysts capable of reducing a variety of aromatic substrates under relatively mild conditions. Based on preparation methods, divergent performance, stability, and reactivity trends of the catalysts, encompassing the formation of C-H and C-C bonds, are observed during transformations of cyclic hydrocarbons. In addition, the bifunctionality of these catalysts will be described in the hydro-metathesis of non-cyclic hydrocarbons. These studies offer new directions in the design of catalysts for hydrocarbon conversions.
Biography: Prof. Keith Searles received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 2015. He completed his thesis work under the advisement of Prof. Kenneth G. Caulton and Prof. Daniel J. Mindiola. His research focused on the design of new ligand platforms for the synthesis of novel transition metal compounds featuring metal-ligand multiple bonds as well as chemistry related to nitrogen reduction. Subsequently, he moved to Zürich, Switzerland to conduct research in the labs of Prof. Christophe Copéret at ETH Zürich as a postdoctoral fellow. During this time, his research focused on developing molecularly defined heterogeneous catalysts using surface organometallic chemistry. This worked spanned applications in many industrial reactions such as alkane dehydrogenation, polymerization, and CO2 hydrogenation. In 2019, Prof. Searles joined the University of Florida as an assistant professor. His current research focuses on the synthesis of new molecules and materials designed for applications in energy and catalysis.