Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile organic pollutant used in industrial and commercial processes as a metal degreasing agent and as a spotting agent at dry-cleaning facilities. In addition to having adverse health effects to the human central nervous system and the key organs of the body, TCE has also been identified as a carcinogen. TCE can be found in various environments, including the groundwater, some of which are used as sources of drinking water. A safer way to dispose of industrial TCE would be to treat it and reduce it to a less toxic compound such as ethylene before it reaches the groundwater. The cobalamin-dependent reductive dehalogenases catalyze the dechlorination of chlorinated hydrocarbons, but the mechanism in which TCE is fully dehalogenated is not well understood. We are synthesizing biomimetic complexes that resemble the reductive dehalogenases. We have synthesized four cyclam derivatives: cyclam methylbenzoic acid, cyclam propionic acid, cyclam propionamide, and cyclam pyridine. These ligands are then reacted with cobalt salts to yield novel cobalt complexes. We evaluate the reactivity of these complexes toward TCE and other halogenated hydrocarbons and monitor reactivity using UV-visible spectroscopy. Changes in the spectrum give us insight into the mechanism in which these hydrocarbons are dehalogenated and into the effect that the supporting ligands have on reactivity. The ultimate goal is to design catalysts that can effectively treat TCE using earth-abundant and environmentally friendly materials.

Metallating ligands in catalyst development for carcinogens in groundwater

251st National Meeting (2016)

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