Investigating Binding Affinity of Arylazothioformamide Ligands to Late-Transition Metals
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Kristopher Waynant, University of Idaho; and Dr. James Moberly, University of Idaho
Presentation Date
7-16-2026
Abstract
In just a single year, nearly 100 billion dollars of precious metals are wasted in the form of discarded electronics. Money is not all that is being wasted; energy, labor, and the security of our ecosystems are sacrificed in order to replace what we throw away. An emerging alternative to throwing away these metals are redox-active ligands called arylazothioformamides (ATFs) that coordinate selectively with late-transition metals, which includes gold, zinc, nickel, and cobalt. Understanding if ATFs can coordinate and remove these metals as they appear in electronics is crucial to determining their usefulness in e-waste recycling. This project focuses on the synthesis of ATFs and their affinity for coordinating target metals species. Coordination is verified by observing a crystal structure with X-ray diffraction and using UV-Vis spectroscopy to monitor coordination while in solution in real time.
Investigating Binding Affinity of Arylazothioformamide Ligands to Late-Transition Metals
In just a single year, nearly 100 billion dollars of precious metals are wasted in the form of discarded electronics. Money is not all that is being wasted; energy, labor, and the security of our ecosystems are sacrificed in order to replace what we throw away. An emerging alternative to throwing away these metals are redox-active ligands called arylazothioformamides (ATFs) that coordinate selectively with late-transition metals, which includes gold, zinc, nickel, and cobalt. Understanding if ATFs can coordinate and remove these metals as they appear in electronics is crucial to determining their usefulness in e-waste recycling. This project focuses on the synthesis of ATFs and their affinity for coordinating target metals species. Coordination is verified by observing a crystal structure with X-ray diffraction and using UV-Vis spectroscopy to monitor coordination while in solution in real time.