Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 4-29-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Jonah Jurss
Second Advisor
Jinchao Lou
Third Advisor
Jason Ritchie
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The development of water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) is inspired by natural photosynthesis, in which the oxygen-evolving complex within Photosystem II can reach high oxidation states, obtain energy to drive water oxidation, and be recycled. Efficient WOCs enable solar energy storage by converting sunlight into storable chemical fuels, thereby addressing the intermittent nature of solar power and the issue of greenhouse gas emissions. In this work, the water oxidation catalysts of interest include multidentate ligands bearing oxyanion donors that would yield lower overpotentials and stabilize high-valent intermediates; these ligands will be metalated with first-row transition metals due to their abundance and inexpensive costs. Three synthetic pathways for the development of pentadentate and hexadentate carboxylate ligands have been established, with one ligand successfully metalated with ruthenium and, in a separate instance, with copper. The ligands have been characterized using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy.
Recommended Citation
Lin, Emily, "Design and Synthesis of Pentadentate and Hexadentate Oxyanion Ligands for First-Row Transition Metal Water Oxidation Catalysts" (2025). Honors Theses. 3271.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3271