The Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis (LMC) of the Institute of Chemistry of UFRGS inaugurated in 1994 is engaged in research in the field of organometallic catalysis for the purpose of furthering fundamental knowledge and industrial applications of bond-making and bond-breaking catalytic reactions promoted by transition-metal complexes. The LMC is an interdepartmental Laboratory that encourages participation and collaboration among researchers in various disciplines of science and engineering. The international nature of catalysis research at LMC is illustrated by extensive collaboration with foreign research groups (USA, France, Spain, Germany, etc.) and by exchange programs involving under-graduate and graduate students. Extensive industrial collaboration is also evident, research contracts covering about two thirds of our running costs and supporting master and doctorate students during their thesis work. The LMC has 4-6 projects per year supported by Brazilian agencies/Companies (FINEP, CAPES, CNPq, FAPERGS, PETROBRAS, BRASKEM, and other Industry Partners). The Laboratory is mainly located in the building K (rooms 102, 106, 115, 119, 208B and 210) of the Institute of Chemistry at the "Campus do Vale" of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. The new LMC building with 1,700 m2 is under construction and should be inaugurated in January 2010. PETROBRAS, CNPq and CAPES finance the construction of this new building.

The Laboratory is composed by core researches: Prof. Dr. Jairton Dupont, Prof. Dr. Günter Ebeling and Prof. Dr. Adriano Lisboa Monteiro of the Department of Organic Chemistry and Prof. Dr. Osvaldo Lázaro Casagrande Jr of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry. Graduate students from different courses (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences) preparing their master and doctoral thesis in LAMOCA.
Our research interests are broadly based in synthetic, mechanistic, and structural organometallic chemistry with special emphasis on their application in homogeneous, liquid-liquid two-phase and supported catalysis, and nanomaterials.
Research activities can be grouped in the following categories:

Design, synthesis and characterization of organometallic complexes of Ni, Pd,Ru, Rh, V and Zr containing N and P ligands modified with ionophilic moieties.

Design, synthesis and physical-chemical properties of ionic liquids (molten salts) based mainly on 1,3-dialkylimidazolium cation and their application of immobilizing agents for organometallic catalyst precursors.

Design, synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials in ionic liquids and their use in catalysis, fuel cells and solar cells devices.
Metal-catalyzed process (oligomerization, telomerization, hydrogenation, hydroformylation, carbonylation and cross-coupling reactions) by organometallic catalyst precursors in homogeneous media or dissolved in ionic liquids.

Design, synthesis and characterization of organometallic complexes of Ni, Cr, Ti, V and Zr containing N-, O-, S- and P- based tridentate ligands and their use in oligonerization and polymerization of olefins in homogeneous and heterogeneous media.

Graduate students from different courses (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences) prepare their master and doctorate degrees at LMC under the supervision of our core researchers. The admission on the master courses is mainly granted to students hareing satisfactory credits in their under-graduate studies in Chemistry; some diploma in Chemical Engineering, an equivalent diploma or an equivalent foreign qualification. The number of places is determined by the openings in the research laboratories (normally in December and June of each year) .

The masters studies consist of courses covering special areas of chemistry (Organometallics, Catalysis, Molecular Spectroscopy and Asymmetric Synthesis) as well as advanced chemistry (Inorganic, Organic, Physical-Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry). The teaching responsibilities are shared by a team off lecturers. The masters thesis is prepared working within an university research group and takes from 18 to 32 months.

Admission to the doctorate course is granted to students having obtained satisfactory credits in the master courses, a master diploma in Chemistry, or an equivalent diploma or foreign qualification. The doctoral thesis is prepared working within an university research laboratory, and takes from 2 to 4 years. Authorization to enroil for a Thesis is granted by the "Commission of Post-graduation" after an application by a Ph.D. Supervisor.

If you are interested in doing your master or doctoral thesis in Catalysis, the Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis (LMC) will be glad to receive you.

E-mail:jairton.dupont@ufrgs.br

As an UFRGS interdepartmental Laboratory, the Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis has access to a broad range of techniques at the Analytical Center Service of the Institute of Chemistry. The facilities includes all the analytical techniques for molecular and macromolecular characterization such as NMR, FTIR, Mass Spectrometry, Combustion Analysis, Thermal Analysis (DSC, TGA, TMA), Atomic Absorption, x-ray, GC, HPLC, GPC, Raman, etc. Moreover, cooperative research programs with the Institute of Physics – UFRGS allow the use of other techniques, such as RBS, EXAFS, XPS, SEM, CTEM, etc.
A variety of equipment are available at the Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis for the study of catalysis. Techniques currently available include TPD, DRIFTS, BET, gas chromatography, HPLC, CG-MS, FTIR, Polarimeter, NMR, ESI-MS, Potentiostat, and DSC. Multi-purpose reactor systems are also available (10 mL-3 L), including Büchi reactors, Parr reactors, Pressure reactors and a variety of home-made autoclaves.
Ligands and catalysts preparation facilities such as ovens, furnaces, vacuum lines and glove box systems are available. The Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis posses especially designed apparatus for the kinetic and mechanistic studies in homogeneous and liquid-liquid two-phase catalytic reactions.