The Molecular Processes division consists of Chemical Energy, which is focused on catalysis, and Chemical Separations and Analysis, which is focused on analytical applications. Current projects in the Chemical Energy area include chemical kinetics and reactivity of transition metal complexes, new synthetic routes to inorganic catalytic materials using organometallic precursors and molecular "stepping stones", spectroscopic and kinetic characterization of metal oxide catalysts, spectroscopic and phenomenological studies of catalysts and advanced materials, and organometallic complexes in homogeneous catalysis. Chemical Separations and Analysis projects are in the areas of analytical separations, analytical spectroscopy, lasers in analytical chemistry, chemical analysis at liquid-solid interfaces, and metal hydride batteries.

Chemical Energy

A research team at the Ames Laboratory is engaged in a program of research in chemical catalysis, seeking fundamental chemical and engineering insights about selective oxidation, desulfurization, denitrogenation and dehalogenation reactions by iteratively focusing a spectrum of the expertise in the Ames Laboratory on this important area . The reactions include the removal or addition of a heteroatom (O, S, N, Cl, F) by oxidation or hydrogenation, using transition metals, oxides, and complexes as catalysts. Catalysts for this purpose are being prepared, characterized, evaluated, and improved. Studies of the mechanisms, intermediates, and active sites are key components of the effort, and results from these studies will be constantly fed back into the synthetic effort to provide insight for catalyst modification. The leading scientists in this endeavor are Robert Angelici, Andreja Bakac, Marek T. Pruski, Victor Lin, Aaron Sadow and Keith Woo.

Chemical Separations and Analysis

Principal Investigators: James S. Fritz, R. Samuel Houk, and Edward S. Yeung