海角社区

An 海角社区 chemical engineering professor has received a major federal grant to develop technology that could help solve two pressing problems at once: mountains of plastic waste and underutilized natural gas.

Professor Kunlun Ding recently secured $535,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance research on a process called alkane metathesis鈥攅ssentially a molecular reshuffling technique that could transform abundant but difficult-to-use materials into more valuable products.

Think of metathesis as molecular surgery. Special compounds called catalysts act like tiny scissors, cutting molecules into smaller pieces that can be reassembled in different, more useful configurations.

Scientists have successfully performed this molecular reshuffling on materials called olefins鈥攗nsaturated hydrocarbons that serve as feedstock for the production of everyday plastics like PVC pipes and polyethylene bags. However, the same trick has proven far more difficult with alkanes, the saturated hydrocarbons like propane found in natural gas.

The difference comes down to chemical bonds. Olefins contain double bonds between carbon atoms, which are easier to activate. Alkanes have only single bonds, making them much more stubborn.

The potential payoff is enormous. "Our world is generating millions of tons of polyethylene and polypropylene waste every day," Professor Ding explained. "Interestingly, there are also millions of tons of natural gas liquids produced every day from shale gas drilling in the U.S."

He said both resources have been largely overlooked but could serve many purposes "if only we can chop them up and average out their sizes."

The challenge lies in catalyst design. Unlike simpler chemical reactions, alkane metathesis requires multiple catalytic functions working together in a single reactor鈥攍ike an orchestra where different instruments must play in perfect harmony.

Professor Ding's team will build on their previous work designing and analyzing highly specific catalysts. Their goal is to understand how different catalytic sites cooperate during alkane metathesis.

If successful, the research platform they develop could extend beyond alkane metathesis to other complex chemical reactions, potentially transforming how oil refineries and chemical plants operate.

The implications reach from waste management to energy production, offering a glimpse of how chemistry might help create a more sustainable future.

---

Like the College of Engineering on  or follow us on , , , and .