Project Grant 2327267

This $205,962 Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4 EPSCoR Research Fellows project, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrative Activities (CFDA 47.083) program, will enable researchers at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa to develop a fundamental understanding of the structure and catalytic properties of zeolite-encapsulated metal-phthalocyanine complexes. The research team will utilize state-of-the-art synchrotron-based X-ray techniques at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to precisely characterize the atomic-level structure of these heterogeneous catalysts during reaction. This work will train a graduate student and an assistant professor in these advanced characterization methods, while also increasing access to synchrotron facilities for researchers across Alabama, enhancing the state's competitiveness for future federal research funding and private investment. The project is scheduled to run from Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025.