Collaborative Research: Dilute Alloying to Tune Early Transition Metal Reactivity for Selective Hydrodeoxygenation

Plant-based biomass is a potential source of fuels and valuable chemicals. Finding ways to convert biomass to fuels and chemicals could create value and improve U.S. energy security. Lignan is a major component of biomass. Lignan has molecular structures that are precursors to fuels, chemicals and materials used in advanced manufacturing. However, the catalysts that promote the reactions to final products are not selective. They promote both desirable and undesirable reactions. This lowers efficiency and reduces product value. This project will develop new catalyst designs that improve reaction selectivity by controlling the atomic-scale structure of sites where the catalytic reactions take place. The project outcomes will enable more efficient use of biomass and advance sustainable chemical manufacturing by minimizing unwanted side reactions. The project will support education and workforce development by training students in interdisciplinary catalysis research and by engaging K-12 students through STEM outreach activities. This collaborative project will develop a fundamental understanding of oxygen-removal reactions on a class of catalysts known as dilute alloys, which contain isolated early transition metal atoms embedded within copper-, silver-, or gold-based host materials. The project will investigate how the identity and atomic arrangement of these isolated metal sites influence chemical bonding, reaction pathways, and catalyst stability. To achieve this, the researchers will combine controlled surface experiments, catalytic performance measurements at near-ambient pressures, advanced spectroscopic techniques, and computational modeling of reaction mechanisms. By linking insights from well-defined model systems to more complex catalytic materials operating under realistic conditions, the project will establish broadly applicable design principles for catalysts that selectively convert biomass-derived molecules into valuable aromatic hydrocarbons. These principles may also inform the development of cost-effective alternatives to precious-metal catalysts for a wide range of chemical transformations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2550205 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Jason Weaver | Institution: University of Florida, GAINESVILLE, FL | Award Amount: $438,528 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2550205 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2550205.html