Metal-free and heterogeneous catalysts

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H02718
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 33020:Synthetic organic chemistry-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Nishina Yuta 岡山大学, 異分野融合先端研究コア, 研究教授 (50585940)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: カーボン / 触媒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aiming to build the concept of "carbon catalyst" that does not rely on metal species, this research confirmed the reactivity of carbon materials by changing their structure and functional groups. Through this research, it was found that incorporating nitrogen atoms into carbon and increasing radicals are effective for catalytic activity. It was also found that it is possible to increase radicals by cleaving oxygen functional groups on the carbon surface. It was clarified that nitrogen-doped carbon can be used as a catalyst for the reduction of nitro groups and reduction of oxygen molecules. The carbon material was also found to be effective for the polymerization of styrene, acrylonitrile, vinylpyridine, and styrene sulfonic acid. The detailed mechanism was analyzed by in situ ESR spectroscopy.

Free Research Field

材料化学、合成化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

カーボン触媒は世界的に研究が盛んになってきているにも関わらず，触媒科学としての基礎的な検討が欠けていると感じている。そこで申請者は，カーボンの組成を系統的にコントロールし，化学修飾によりナノ～原子・分子レベルで構造を変え，in situ分析などを通して触媒活性が発現するメカニズムを解明（場合によっては過去の研究事例を否定）するとともに，高活性化・高選択性の発現・新反応の開拓を実現するためのカーボン触媒の設計指針を確立することが重要であるとの考えに至った。なぜカーボンが，金属触媒に似た反応や異なる選択性を示すのかを明らかにすることが，本研究の意義である。