David Leitch is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Victoria.
Synthesis of complex organic molecules is critical in areas as diverse as agriculture, energy conversion and storage, and manufacturing life-saving medicines. These syntheses often rely on platinum group metal (PGM) additives – catalysts – that enable and control the chemical reactions. PGMs are among Canada’s key natural resources, and are a major component of Canada’s critical minerals list; however, they scarce, expensive, and extracted using environmentally destructive mining and refining processes.
This wasteful use of PGM catalysts is not because we lack motivation to recover/reuse them. Instead, we do not know how to stop them from “dying” (i.e. decomposing to inactive and difficult-to-recover byproducts). The Leitch lab proposes to use its expertise in high-throughput experimentation and catalyst development to create catalysts that can “cheat death”. They aim to design PGM containing catalysts that enter into a dormant state once the desired chemical reaction is complete. These dormant catalysts would be recovered intact from the reaction mixture, and then resurrected into an active form for re-use. If successful, this work would significantly improve the sustainability and economics of PGM use for manufacturing medicines and materials.
Ultimately, this work will aim to help ensure future generations of Canadians will be able to access critical medicines, and maintain our national supply of critical minerals.
