Jennifer C. Goodell and Nathan R. Rudman
Faculty Sponsor: Mitch Anstey
The management of energy is an ever-growing problem. As society struggles with the use of energy, we’ve studied the best way to use the most amount of power with the most efficient amount of energy. In aims to reach this goal, we have designed bifunctional, single-molecule redox mediators to reduce the sacrificial energy loss that is commonly seen in the newest battery designs. Tetrahedral main group complexes with diamine ligands were targeted due to its ability to stay soluble throughout the redox process. Multi-step reactions took place to synthesize what we call the Spiro-boron complex, which has given evidence of undergoing Redox. The molecule can oxidize twice and also reduce twice. We are successfully able to synthesize the neutral Spiro-boron, which we acquire by oxidizing the anionic complex. This Redox mediator may have the potential to overcome the barriers that serve as an obstacle to charging and discharging processes of a battery. We have also been able to synthesis the anionic Spiro-Aluminum complex, and are doing further research to evaluate the similarities and differences between the Aluminum and the Boron complexes.