Title: MOFs Across Disciplines: From Photophysics to Heterogeneous Catalysis and Nuclear Waste Management
Abstract: Energy transfer (ET) processes are a cornerstone of modern physical and inorganic chemistry, which is driven by the growing demand for efficient energy transfer and conversion necessary to build a sustainable energy society. Specifically, materials with a predesigned pathway for ET can address the urgent need for fast enhancement of material performance in areas ranging from optoelectronic devices to photocatalytic systems. In this presentation, mechanistic and structural aspects of directional energy transport will be discussed on the examples of stimuli-responsive materials in order to harness metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a versatile platform for energy utilization enhancement. This talk will also cover a transformative approach for understanding how guest distribution and evolution impact the catalytic performance of heterogeneous host-guest catalytic platforms by implementing the resonance ET concept, mimicking the steric constraints of targeted catalysts. Using the ET-based methodology, we mapped condition-dependent guest (re)-distribution within a porous support. Furthermore, we correlate ET results performed on the model systems with the catalytic performance of two MOF-based materials used to promote CO2 hydrogenation and ring-closing metathesis. The outlined studies represent the first generalizable approach for mapping the guest distribution in heterogeneous host-guest catalytic systems, providing a foundation for predicting and tailoring the performance of catalysts. Breakthroughs in the kinetics of the stimuli-responsive materials achieved through MOF-imposed photophysics will also be discussed, as well as progress in the fundamental understanding of the f-element chemistry for developing novel wasteforms.
Bio: Natalia B. Shustova is a Fred M. Weissman Palmetto Professor at the Department of the University of South Carolina (USC). She holds Ph.D. degrees in Physical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry and completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Currently, she serves as an Associate Editor at ACS Materials Letters, following her term as an Associate Editor of Materials Chemistry Frontiers. Dr. Shustova is a recipient of international and national awards, including the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation, IAS Hans Fischer Fellowship, the National Science Foundation Career Award, the Cottrell Scholar Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Research Award, the Breakthrough Award, the McCausland Fellowship, Breakthrough Award, and Camille Dreyfus Teaching-Scholar Award. Dr. Shustova was named a Scialog Fellow of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RSCA), which accelerates 21st-century transformational science through research, dialog, and community outreach. She also serves on the RSCA Selection Committee, which assesses the research and educational performance of Assistant Professors across institutions in the USA, selecting the next generation of candidates for the Cottrell Scholar Award. She is a member of the executive committee for the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and also serves as a Chair on the International MOF Committee, comprising 14 scientists from eight countries. Her current research interests include graphitic hybrid materials for sustainable energy conversion, the chemistry of f-block elements, stimuli-responsive materials, sensors, and gas-phase heterogeneous catalysts.
Host: Prof. Eszter Boros