Current WKU Research

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This page highlights some of the current faculty and student research at WKU utilizing AMI facilities.

 

• Dr. Rui Zhang’s research involves developing sustainable, “green” and selective oxidation catalysis via highly reactive metal-oxo species. The specific objective is to develop a photo-catalytic procedure for organic oxidations using only atmospheric oxygen and visible light (sunlight). The use of molecular oxygen and solar light in oxidative catalysis is particularly relevant to realizing innovative and economically advantageous processes for conversion of hydrocarbons into oxygenates and, at the same time, to move toward a “sustainable chemistry” that has a minimal environmental impact. The target transient oxidant for the photo-catalytic procedure is the ruthenium(V)-oxo or iron(V)-oxo species that are highly reactive oxidant for a wide range of oxidations.