Website title
2/20/1
Environmental Research
Environmental
Qatar
Foundation Annual Research
Research Forum 2011
Panelists:
Alivisatos (Lawrence
Berkeley
National Laboratory),
Sherif (University
QatarPaul
Foundation
Annual
Research
ForumSA2011
of Florida), John Spengler (Harvard University), Adel Sharif (University of Surrey)Presented by
The
Qatar Foundation
Panelists:
Paul Alivisatos (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), SA Sherif (University of Florida), John Spengle
Reported
Erica GiesAdel
| Posted
14,of2012
(HarvardbyUniversity),
SharifFebruary
(University
Surrey)Presented by The Qatar Foundation
Reported by Erica Gies | Posted February 14, 2012
Overview
Overview
The Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum convened for the second time from November
Qatar
Foundation
Annual
Research
Forum
forinthe
second timeQatar
from November
20 – 22, 2011, in Do
20 The
– 22,
2011,
in Doha, to
discuss
progress
and convened
challenges
transforming
from a
to
discuss
progress
and
challenges
in
transforming
Qatar
from
a
resource-based
to
a
knowledge-based
economy a
resource-based to a knowledge-based economy and in creating a more sustainable future.
in creating a more sustainable future. The Foundation recruited eminent scientists and leaders from Qatar and arou
The Foundation recruited eminent scientists and leaders from Qatar and around the world
the world to share their insights on how to build a robust R&D infrastructure, encourage regional and worldwide
to share
their insights
on how
to build a robust
R&D infrastructure,
and
collaborations,
and foster
entrepreneurship
in Qatar.
One day of theencourage
forum was regional
devoted to
a series of research
worldwide
collaborations,
and
foster
entrepreneurship
in
Qatar.
One
day
of
the
forum
was
presentations in five areas: energy, environmental, biomedical, computing, and arts and humanities research.
devoted to a series of research presentations in five areas: energy, environmental, biomedical,
This eBriefing
looksand
at the
research research.
presented in the environment track, which included presentations on soil scienc
computing,
and arts
humanities
advances in chemical processes and products, CO2 management, and environmental monitoring. A panel of
This
eBriefing looks
at the
research presented
inchallenged
the environment
track, which
included
presendistinguished
experts
in environmental
research
the presenters
to consider
new
ways of thinking about t
management,
and
tations
on
soil
science,
advances
in
chemical
processes
and
products,
CO
2
experimental designs and their results.
environmental monitoring. A panel of distinguished experts in environmental research challenged
thetabs
presenters
to consider
ways
of thinking
about their
designs and
Use the
above to find
a meetingnew
report
and additional
information
fromexperimental
this event.
their results.
Advances
in Chemistry
A report and multimedia presentations from the forum-wide sessions can be found in the Building a Knowledge-bas
Economy in Qatar eBriefing.
Speakers:
Robert
Tuba,
Texas
A&M University
at Qatar
Reports
on the
individual
research tracks
can be found at:
Mariam
Al-Maadeed,
Qatar
University
Arts, Humanities,
Social
Sciences,
and Islamic Studies eBriefing
Mohammed
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Biomedical Al-Jubouri,
Research eBriefing
Computing Research eBriefing
Highlights
Energy Research eBriefing
For
abstracts, download
Annualsystem
Research
Forum
Proceedings
here.
• speaker
A new liquid-liquid
biphasicthe
reaction
makes
catalysts
more effective.
For
speaker
biographies,
download
the
Annual
Research
Forum
Program
book
here.polymers
• Adding locally available, environmentally benign reinforcements to recycled
•
not only strengthens them but also reduces their greenhouse gas footprints.
New software can help improve the effectiveness of acid stimulation in oil and gas wells.
Presented by
Toward environmentally benign chemistry
Chemicals are among the building blocks of our modern industrial society, but they come with a
heavy price for human health and the environment. Two presentations looked at ways to lighten
the impact.
“Green chemistry” aims to develop less hazardous and more energy-efficient chemical
products
and processes. In that spirit, Robert Tuba and his coworkers at Texas A&M University
http://www.nyas.org/Print.aspx
Pa
Website title
2/20/12 8:55
Toward environmentally benign chemistry
Chemicals
amongTX,
the and
building
blocks
our modern
society,are
butworking
they come
with a heavy price for human
in Collegeare
Station,
Texas
A&MofUniversity
at industrial
Qatar in Doha,
to develop
health
and
the
environment.
Two
presentations
looked
at
ways
to
lighten
the
impact.
a liquid-liquid biphasic reaction system to make catalyst systems more effective. If it works,
reactions requiring high temperature and pressure could be conducted more efficiently in
"Green chemistry" aims to develop less hazardous and more energy-efficient chemical products and processes. In that
moderate
reaction
conditions
such as
room temperature
andinatmospheric
pressure,
spirit,
Robert
Tuba and
his coworkers
at Texas
A&M University
College Station,
TX, andTuba
Texas A&M University at
explained.
Qatar in Doha, are working to develop a liquid-liquid biphasic reaction system to make catalyst systems more effective.
If it works, reactions requiring high temperature and pressure could be conducted more efficiently in moderate reaction
Because it is industrially relevant and extensively studied, Tuba and his colleagues have focused
conditions such as room temperature and atmospheric pressure, Tuba explained.
their efforts on a ringopening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) reaction that turns the cyclic
olefin norbornene
(andrelevant
its derivatives)
into a plastic.
The
catalytic
opens
thefocused
organictheir efforts on a ringBecause
it is industrially
and extensively
studied,
Tuba
and hisprocess
colleagues
have
rings
of
the
monomers
and
links
them
together
to
form
polynorbornene.
opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) reaction that turns the cyclic olefin norbornene (and its derivatives) into a
plastic. The catalytic process opens the organic rings of the monomers and links them together to form polynorbornene
In many catalytic processes, a ligand must dissociate before the catalytic cycle can begin.
reassociation
often slows
the rate
which that
happens.
Tuba thought
that
if theThe reassociation often
InThe
many
catalytic processes,
a ligand
mustatdissociate
before
the catalytic
cycle can
begin.
dissociated
could
separated
the active
species,
then he
could
achieve
faster from the active
slows
the rateligand
at which
thatbe
happens.
Tubafrom
thought
that if the
dissociated
ligand
could
be separated
species,
thenHis
hetwo-phase
could achieve
fasterseeks
reactions.
His two-phase
system
to prevent
such reversal
reactions.
system
to prevent
such reversal
byseeks
separating
the product
of theby separating the
product
of
the
reaction,
dissociated
phosphine,
from
the
running
reaction.
The
catalytic
process
takes
reaction, dissociated phosphine, from the running reaction. The catalytic process takes place inplace in the
organic
solvent
phase,phase,
whereas
the fluorophilic,
synthetically
modifiedmodified
phosphine
slips into the
fluorous
the organic
solvent
whereas
the fluorophilic,
synthetically
phosphine
slips
into solvent phase
and
is
thereby
whisked
away
from
the
possible
reverse
reaction.
the fluorous solvent phase and is thereby whisked away from the possible reverse reaction.
Cl2 and CDCl
) as theas
organic
solvent and
Testing
reaction
withwith
chlorinated
solvents
(CH2(CH2Cl2
Testingthe
thetwo-phase
two-phase
reaction
chlorinated
solvents
and 3CDCl3)
the organic
perfluoro(methylcyclohexane)
[PFMC]
as
the
fluorous
solvent
phase,
the
team
documented
accelerations
in the
solvent and perfluoro(methylcyclohexane) [PFMC] as the fluorous solvent phase, the team
biphasic
process
when
compared
with
reactions
in
chlorinated
solvents
using
a
monophasic
process.
The
biphasic
documented accelerations in the biphasic process when compared with reactions in chlorinated
system
with
PFMC
showed
a
dramatic
acceleration
when
the
catalyst
was
added
to
the
reaction
mixture
as
PFMC
solvents using a monophasic process. The biphasic system with PFMC showed a dramatic
solution.
acceleration when the catalyst was added to the reaction mixture as PFMC solution.
A liquid-liquid biphasic reaction system. (Image courtesy of Robert Tuba)
A liquid-liquid biphasic reaction system. (Image courtesy of Robert Tuba)
Now that they have proven the principle, Tuba and his colleagues are working to demonstrate
Now
that they
havepolymerization
proven the principle,
Tubaenvironmentally
and his colleagues
are working
demonstrate biphasic ROMP
biphasic
ROMP
with more
benign
solvent to
systems—for
polymerization
with
more
environmentally
benign
solvent
systems—for
example,
by
substituting chlorinated organic
example, by substituting chlorinated organic solvents for toluene and using hydrophilic
phosphine ligand and water in place of fluorophilic ligand and fluorinated solvents. The study
http://www.nyas.org/Print.aspx
Page 7 o
was recently published in ACS Catalysis.