A class of materials called the platinum group elements play a critcal role in countless applications, spanning fields from cancer research to clean energy. But these elements are among the most rare and expensive elements on Earth, which limits their application and use.
Now, a Florida State University chemist will use a three-year, $1.185 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study platinum group elements, or PGEs, at the molecular level in order to identify more affordable and abundant alternatives.
Robert Schurko, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and director of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Facility at the FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, received renewed funding this fall for his project, “Unraveling the mysteries of the platinum group elements with multinuclear solid-state NMR spectroscopy.”
The platinum group elements include their namesake and similar metals ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, and iridium. The names may be obscure, but their uses are not. PGEs are critical in dozens of applications. They’re used to refine crude oil and manufacture TV, computer and cell phone screens. They can be found in dental fillings, medical implants and chemotherapy drugs. And PGEs are a key component in the catalytic converters that clean your car’s exhaust.
Despite their widespread applications, scientists don’t fully understand how the PGE metals bond with other atoms and create complex structures at the molecular level. And because of their atomic makeup, the metals have proven difficult to analyze using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. But MagLab researchers specialize in techniques to uncover these hard to see elements on the periodic table.
“I am honored for the continued support of this work on platinum group elements by the Department of Energy,” Schurko said. “These are critical elements of national concern, which are costly and rare. Some of our experiments and calculations represent the first steps in determining pathways to find abundant and inexpensive ‘replacement metals’ for PGEs, which can duplicate their chemical properties and lead to advanced materials.”
The grant, awarded by DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences Division, will allow Schurko to continue his research on PGEs that was first selected for DOE funding in 2021 with co-investigator Jochen Austchbach of the University at Buffalo.
For this project, the team will use a combination of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy — one of the most powerful non-destructive spectroscopic analytical techniques — and quantum chemical computations to explore the molecular structure, bonding and dynamics of various PGE complexes.
Shurko first became interested in the platinum group elements through extensive work on platinum-195 ssNMR and his interest in developing methods for acquiring ssNMR spectra of highly unreceptive isotopes, which have certain properties that make them difficult to study.
Among the PGEs, ruthenium-99, rhodium-103 and palladium-105 represent enormous challenges for NMR because the signals are quite weak. Because of the difficulty of working with these isotopes, they are understudied.
Researchers will measure ssNMR spectra of these PGE isotopes, as well as isotopes related to bonding ligands — the atoms and molecules attached to a central atom in a complex compound — including nitrogen-14, nitrogen-15, oxygen-17, phosphorus-31 and chlorine-35. Additionally, they will study isotopes of potential replacement metals such as manganese-55, iron-57, cobalt-59 and copper-65, which could prove to be more affordable and accessible alternatives to rare and costly PGEs.
The team will use the MagLab’s 36 Tesla Series Connected Hybrid Magnet, which offers the world’s strongest magnetic field for nuclear magnetic resonance. The lab also has the world’s most powerful MRI at 21 Tesla. Analysis of the PGE metals in ultra-high magnetic fields offers a “molecular fingerprint” for each compound.
“The funding from DOE, the incredible high-field NMR resources at the MagLab, and the support of our computational facilities by FSU, have all gone a long way to make this research a reality,” Schurko said.
Wei Yang, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, adds that Schurko has made many important contributions to the field of solid-state NMR in his leadership roles at the MagLab’s facilities.
“With the strongest magnets, Professor Robert Schurko has been leading his top expert team in developing the most precise NMR detection methods in several scientific fronts, including resolving intricate crystal structures and deciphering chemical mysteries of platinum group elements,” Yang said. “This award again showcases his leadership position in this important area and the overall strength of FSU Chemistry and Biochemistry in the general area of NMR spectroscopy.”
To learn more about Schurko’s research and the FSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, visit chem.fsu.edu. For more information about the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, visit nationalmaglab.org.