Raman Spectroscopy and Electrochemical Reactivity of Carbon Surfaces

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This research project supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, focuses on the study of the fundamental of heterogeneous electron transfer reactions at carbon surfaces. Professor McCreery and his students at The Ohio State University will use carbon surfaces that have been highly characterized by surface spectroscopic methods, especially Raman spectroscopy, to prepare chemically modified surfaces with known structural properties. The aim is to then be able to control rates of electron transfer that occur at these surfaces to either enhance or suppress specific reactions. This work has relevance to a broad range of technologies including electrochemical energy conversion, electrosynthesis, and applications using surface-active carbon.Carbon electrodes are used in diverse processes including energy conversion in batteries and fuel cells, materials production, and corrosion. Despite the economic importance of carbon electrodes their electron transfer properties are not easily controlled. This is in part due to a lack of a molecular level understanding of the surface structure and chemistry of carbon. Dr. McCreery and his students at Ohio State University use carbon electrodes that have been extensively characterized for studies of electron transfer reactions. By changing the chemical nature of the surface of carbon, electron transfer reactions can be altered. This work aims to establish a fundamental understanding of the relationship between surface structure and electron transfer reactivity. These results will be useful in numerous energy conversion technologies, electrosynthesis, and applications using surface-active carbon.