CAREER: Electrocatalytic Multielectron Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Fuels Using Small Metal-Metal Bonded Clusters

加州大学戴维斯分校的Louise Berben教授得到化学学部化学催化（CAT）项目和化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统学部催化和生物催化项目（CBET）的支持，研究二氧化碳转化为小有机分子（如甲酸酯、甲醛）和液体燃料（如甲醇）的基本化学和反应步骤。为此，将开发多金属铁、钴和镍金属羰基簇电催化剂。催化剂最终将与光电阴极耦合，因此所研究的反应的能量可以从太阳辐射中获得。电化学工具包括循环伏安法和气相色谱法将被用于检测和表征反应产物。利用高效的异金属过渡金属电催化剂对二氧化碳的电化学还原进行深入研究，可能会产生基本的化学知识，从而促进将二氧化碳转化为燃料和小型化学构件的进展。太阳能在这些电催化化学转化中的潜在用途增加了该项目的价值。学生将在一个多学科的研究环境中进行训练，一个新的无机实验模块将被纳入本科实验课程。外展活动包括通过MURPPS（物理和数学科学本科生研究参与者指导）项目吸引代表性不足的学生进入化学学科的计划，以及与加州太阳能合作组织合作，为该领域的公共政策提供信息。

Professor Louise Berben of the University of California-Davis is supported by the Chemical Catalysis (CAT) Program in the Division of Chemistry and the Catalysis and Biocatalysis Program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) to study the fundamental chemistry and reaction steps involved in the conversion of CO2 to small organic molecules, such as formate, and formaldehyde, and liquid fuels such as methanol. Multimetallic iron, cobalt, and nickel metal carbonyl cluster electrocatalysts will be developed for this purpose. The catalysts will ultimately be coupled to photocathodes so that the energy for the reactions under study can be derived from solar radiation. Electrochemical tools including cyclic voltammetry, and gas chromatography will be employed for the detection and characterization of the reaction products.Insight into the electrochemical reduction of CO2 using efficient heterometallic transition metal electrocatalysts is likely to yield fundamental chemical knowledge that will facilitate advances in the conversion of CO2 into fuels and small chemical building blocks. The potential use of solar energy for these electrocatalytic chemical transformations adds to the value of the project. Students will be trained in a multidisciplinary research environment and a new inorganic laboratory module will be incorporated into undergraduate laboratory courses. The outreach activities include a plan to attract underrepresented students to the discipline of chemistry through the MURPPS (Mentorship for Undergraduate Research Participants in Physical and Mathematical Sciences) program, and a collaboration with the California Solar Energy Collaborative to inform public policy in this area.