Research in the Tsui group will focus on the development of new catalysts using principles and techniques from the areas of bioinorganic, organometallic, and nanomaterials chemistry. Biological enzymes and heterogeneous catalysts are capable of activating very strong bonds in small molecules with high activity and specificity. We will design transition metal complexes and nanoscale materials as models of these systems, incorporating new structural or compositional motifs from enzymatic or heterogeneous active sites to enhance the performance of our artifical catalytic systems. An improved fundamental understanding of these systems will have important applications in chemical synthesis, liquid fuels production, and energy storage.
