This $500,000 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program supports research by Professor Jeremy Smith of Indiana University to develop the chemistry of first-row transition metal carbides. The project aims to provide fundamental insights into the properties of these elusive metal carbides, which are critical to alternative energy processes like the Fischer-Tropsch conversion of biomass-derived synthesis gas to liquid fuels. The research combines synthetic, spectroscopic, and computational studies to create and characterize new metal carbide complexes, with a focus on understanding their electronic structure and potential for proton-coupled electron transfer reactions. Additionally, the award includes outreach activities to develop inorganic chemistry modules for Indiana University's Advance College Project, which provides dual enrollment programs for regional high school students.
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