This SCGC-FIRST project aims to develop the first heterogeneous, transition metal-free hydrogenation catalysts based on phosphorus. Hydrogenation reactions are central to modern manufacturing, underpinning processes in food production, petrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals. However, these reactions typically depend on scarce and costly precious metals such as palladium.
The project explores red phosphorus, an earth-abundant and low-cost material with secure supply chains, as a sustainable alternative. Because bulk red phosphorus is highly insoluble and difficult to study directly, the team will use a systematic molecular approach, investigating increasingly larger phosphorus clusters as models. Starting with soluble seven-atom clusters for detailed mechanistic insight, the research will progress to 11-, 16-, and 21-atom systems before ultimately targeting bulk red phosphorus.
The work will establish structure–reactivity relationships in polyphosphide hydrogenation catalysis and deliver the first examples of heterogeneous phosphorus-based hydrogenation without transition metals. By advancing sustainable element-based catalysis and reducing reliance on critical metals, the project supports energy and carbon reduction goals while opening new directions for scalable, low-cost catalytic technologies.
