Scripps Energy & Materials Center

Last updated
Scripps Energy & Materials Center
Semclogo.png
Established2007 (2007)
Address130 Scripps Way
Jupiter, Florida 33458 USA
Location
TSRI Jupiter, Florida Campus
Website www.scripps.edu/periana/semc

The Scripps Energy & Materials Center (SEMC) is an American research center that focuses on research in the basic energy and materials sciences. [1] Located in Jupiter, Florida, the center has scientists, graduate students, and administrative staff. The SEMC is a part of the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), one of the largest non-profit research institutes in the world.

Contents

History

TSRI was founded as the Scripps Metabolic Clinic in 1924 by the philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in La Jolla, California. The Scripps Metabolic Clinic eventually evolved into the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. In 1991, the Scripps Clinic and the Research Foundation became separate corporations, and the Scripps Research Institute was founded. In 1989, TSRI established a graduate program. A second campus was opened in Jupiter, Florida in 2005. In 2007, TSRI president Richard Lerner hired internationally renowned chemist Roy A. Periana to lead what would become the Scripps Energy & Materials Center. [2] The goal was to expand from biomedical research to examining large-scale human problems, including disease, access of future raw materials from natural resources, and the manipulation and storage of energy from renewable resources. [3]

Facilities

The Scripps Energy & Materials Center is located on the Scripps Research Institute campus in Jupiter, Florida. The campus occupies 30 acres (120,000 m2) next to the adjacent John D. MacArthur campus of Florida Atlantic University and Max Planck Florida Institute in Palm Beach County, Florida. SEMC scientists operate in the 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) research facilities located among approximately 450 faculty, staff, and students that study and work at the campus. [4]

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Leadership

The current director of SEMC is Prof. Roy A. Periana, Ph.D. Periana is an internationally recognized chemist in the fields of homogeneous catalysis and CH activation. His previous work has involved the development of several catalytic systems that convert methane to methanol in high yields at modest temperatures. [5] [6] He has also developed chemistry that oxidatively couples methane to acetic acid in a one pot reaction using a palladium catalyst, earning multiple awards. [7]

Research

SEMC is working on fundamentally new chemistry that will enable development of next-generation technologies that more efficiently convert raw materials into materials and energy. Hydrocarbons (e.g. natural gas), nitrogen, oxygen, and water are utilized as the core components for the majority of the world's energy and materials. The current technology for conversion of these molecules is inefficient and expensive, and operates at high temperatures. Furthermore, excessive amounts[ clarification needed ] of carbon dioxide are generated in the consumption of these raw materials. Therefore, new ways to reduce excessive emissions and conserve precious natural resources will be required to sustain the growing pressures on the Earth to supplement humanity's consumption-based lifestyle.

The approach at SEMC is based on the de novo, rational design of new technologies from the ground up through a process involving conceptual design, computational study, and experimental discovery. One of the major emphases within SEMC is the development of new single-site catalysts for the activation and eventual rupture of strong bonds. The goal of new catalysts is to reduce the temperature and pressures required to operate the molecular conversion. Next generation catalysts will be key to lower-temperature processes. Catalysts increase the rate of chemical reactions at lower temperatures and are utilized in very small amounts. There are currently no catalysts that can efficiently convert natural gas, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, or water at lower temperatures to useful materials or extract the energy stored in the bonds of these molecules. SEMC is addressing these challenges by designing new catalysts to convert these molecules into products that society uses daily.

The Roy A. Periana group recently published an article in the multidisciplinary journal Science that describes the use of main group, lead and thallium trifluoroacetate salts that convert a natural gas stream (comprising methane, ethane, and propane) to the respective trifluoroacetate esters, which include methyltrifluoroaceate, ethyltrifluoroacetate, ditrifluoroacetateethyleneglycol, propyl-2-trifluoroacetate, and 1,2-difluoroaceatatepropylglycol. [8] It was found that the system readily led to the rapid oxidation of the natural gas stream at 180 °C and was capable of reacting with a mixed gas stream or each alkane independently. This result could lead to a new class of molecular reagents for the selective conversion of alkanes to liquid products having impacts on the transportation fuels and petrochemical industries. [9]

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Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haber process</span> Industrial process for ammonia production

The Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the main industrial procedure for the production of ammonia. The German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed it in the first decade of the 20th century. The process converts atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) by a reaction with hydrogen (H2) using an iron metal catalyst under high temperatures and pressures. This reaction is slightly exothermic (i.e. it releases energy), meaning that the reaction is favoured at lower temperatures and higher pressures. It decreases entropy, complicating the process. Hydrogen is produced via steam reforming, followed by an iterative closed cycle to react hydrogen with nitrogen to produce ammonia.

Syngas, or synthesis gas, is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, in various ratios. The gas often contains some carbon dioxide and methane. It is principally used for producing ammonia or methanol. Syngas is combustible and can be used as a fuel. Historically, it has been used as a replacement for gasoline, when gasoline supply has been limited; for example, wood gas was used to power cars in Europe during WWII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scripps Research</span> Nonprofit American medical research institute

Scripps Research, previously known as The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), is a nonprofit American medical research facility that focuses on research and education in the biomedical sciences. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the institute has over 170 laboratories employing 2,100 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and administrative and other staff.

The Fischer–Tropsch process (FT) is a collection of chemical reactions that converts a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, known as syngas, into liquid hydrocarbons. These reactions occur in the presence of metal catalysts, typically at temperatures of 150–300 °C (302–572 °F) and pressures of one to several tens of atmospheres. The Fischer–Tropsch process is an important reaction in both coal liquefaction and gas to liquids technology for producing liquid hydrocarbons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam reforming</span> Method for producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from hydrocarbon fuels

Steam reforming or steam methane reforming (SMR) is a method for producing syngas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) by reaction of hydrocarbons with water. Commonly natural gas is the feedstock. The main purpose of this technology is hydrogen production. The reaction is represented by this equilibrium:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stranded gas</span> Natural gas field that is isolated from market

Stranded gas is a natural gas field that has been discovered, but remains unusable for either physical or economic reasons. Gas found in an oil well is generally called associated gas rather than stranded gas but some flared gases from oil wells are stranded gases that are unusable due to economic reasons.

The water–gas shift reaction (WGSR) describes the reaction of carbon monoxide and water vapor to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas to liquids</span> Conversion of natural gas to liquid petroleum products

Gas to liquids (GTL) is a refinery process to convert natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons into longer-chain hydrocarbons, such as gasoline or diesel fuel. Methane-rich gases are converted into liquid synthetic fuels. Two general strategies exist: (i) direct partial combustion of methane to methanol and (ii) Fischer–Tropsch-like processes that convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into hydrocarbons. Strategy ii is followed by diverse methods to convert the hydrogen-carbon monoxide mixtures to liquids. Direct partial combustion has been demonstrated in nature but not replicated commercially. Technologies reliant on partial combustion have been commercialized mainly in regions where natural gas is inexpensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methyl bisulfate</span> Chemical compound

Methyl bisulfate is a chemical compound with the molecular formula (CH3)HSO4. This compound is the mono-methyl ester of sulfuric acid. Its structure is CH3−O−S(=O)2−OH. The significance of methyl bisulfate is that it is an intermediate in the hydrolysis of the important reagent dimethyl sulfate, (CH3)2SO4:

Hydrogen gas is produced by several industrial methods. Nearly all of the world's current supply of hydrogen is created from fossil fuels. Most hydrogen is gray hydrogen made through steam methane reforming. In this process, hydrogen is produced from a chemical reaction between steam and methane, the main component of natural gas. Producing one tonne of hydrogen through this process emits 6.6–9.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide. When carbon capture and storage is used to remove a large fraction of these emissions, the product is known as blue hydrogen.

In organic chemistry and organometallic chemistry, carbon–hydrogen bond activation is a type of organic reaction in which a carbon–hydrogen bond is cleaved and replaced with a C−X bond. Some authors further restrict the term C–H activation to reactions in which a C–H bond, one that is typically considered to be "unreactive", interacts with a transition metal center M, resulting in its cleavage and the generation of an organometallic species with an M–C bond. The intermediate of this step could then undergo subsequent reactions with other reagents, either in situ or in a separate step, to produce the functionalized product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methane</span> Hydrocarbon compound (CH₄) in natural gas

Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CH4. It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane on Earth makes it an economically attractive fuel, although capturing and storing it is hard because it is a gas at standard temperature and pressure.

The Glossary of fuel cell terms lists the definitions of many terms used within the fuel cell industry. The terms in this fuel cell glossary may be used by fuel cell industry associations, in education material and fuel cell codes and standards to name but a few.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanny D. Schmidt</span> American physical chemist (1938–2020)

Lanny D. Schmidt was an American chemist, inventor, author, and Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota. He is well known for his extensive work in surface science, detailed chemistry (microkinetics), chemical reaction engineering, catalysis, and renewable energy. He is also well known for mentoring over a hundred graduate students and his work on millisecond reactors and reactive flash volatilization.

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, also known as CO2RR, is the conversion of carbon dioxide to more reduced chemical species using electrical energy. It represents one potential step in the broad scheme of carbon capture and utilization.

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a potential chemical reaction studied in the 1980s for the direct conversion of natural gas, primarily consisting of methane, into value-added chemicals. Although the reaction would have strong economics if practicable, no effective catalysts are known, and thermodynamic arguments suggest none can exist.

The first time a catalyst was used in the industry was in 1746 by J. Roebuck in the manufacture of lead chamber sulfuric acid. Since then catalysts have been in use in a large portion of the chemical industry. In the start only pure components were used as catalysts, but after the year 1900 multicomponent catalysts were studied and are now commonly used in the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy A. Periana</span> Guyanese-American organometallic chemist (born 1957)

Roy A. Periana is a Guyanese-American organometallic chemist.

Methane functionalization is the process of converting methane in its gaseous state to another molecule with a functional group, typically methanol or acetic acid, through the use of transition metal catalysts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2,2'-Bipyrimidine</span> Chemical compound

2,2′-Bipyrimidine is an organic compound with the formula (C4H3N2)2. It is a derivative of the heterocycle pyrimidine. It is a white solid. The compound is used as a bridging ligand in coordination chemistry.

References

  1. Brinkmann, Paul. (2011) "Scripps partnership with FPL is tip of energy research plans" South Florida Business Journal, April.
  2. Renowned Chemist Roy Periana Appointed Professor at Scripps Florida
  3. Clemence, Camber. (2012) "Cool Chemistry for the 21st Century" Palm Beach Gardens Lifestyle Magazine, April: 14-15.
  4. Scripps Florida Facts at a Glance
  5. Periana, R.A.; Taube, D.J.; Evitt, E.R.; Loffler, D.G.; Wentrcek, P.R.; Voss, G.; Masuda, T. (1993). "A Mercury-Catalyzed, High-Yield System for the Oxidation of Methane to Methanol". Science. 259 (5093): 340–343. doi:10.1126/science.259.5093.340. PMID   17832346. S2CID   21140403.
  6. Periana, R. A.; Taube, D. J.; Gamble, S.; Taube, H.; Satoh, T.; Fujii, H. (1998). "Platinum Catalysts for the High-Yield Oxidation of Methane to a Methanol Derivative". Science. 280 (5363): 560–564. doi:10.1126/science.280.5363.560. PMID   9554841.
  7. Periana, R. A.; Mirinov, O.; Taube, D.; Bhalla, G.; Jones, C.J. (2003). "Catalytic, Oxidative Condensation of CH4 to CH3COOH in One Step via CH Activation". Science. 301 (5634): 814–818. doi:10.1126/science.1086466. PMID   12907796. S2CID   1388751.
  8. Hashiguchi, B.G.; Konnick, M.M.; Bischof, S.M.; Gustafson, S.J.; Devarajan, D.; Gunsalus, N.; Ess, D.H.; Periana, R.A. (2014). "Main-Group Compounds Selectively Oxidize Mixtures of Methane, Ethane, and Propane to Alcohol Esters". Science. 343 (6176): 1232–1237. doi:10.1126/science.1249357. PMID   24626925. S2CID   25107449.
  9. "The Key to the Next Energy Revolution". Science Now. 2014. https://www.science.org/content/article/key-next-energy-revolution

26°53′6.5″N80°6′51.5″W / 26.885139°N 80.114306°W / 26.885139; -80.114306