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教授得到了化学系的化学催化(CAT)计划和化学、生物工程、环境与运输系统(CBET)系的催化和生物催化计划的支持，研究二氧化碳转化为有机小分子(如甲酸盐、甲醛)和液体燃料(如甲醇)所涉及的基本化学和反应步骤。为此，将开发多金属铁、钴和镍金属羰基团簇电催化剂。催化剂最终将耦合到光电阴极上，以便研究中的反应的能量可以从太阳辐射中获得。将使用包括循环伏安法和气相色谱在内的电化学工具对反应产物进行检测和表征。深入了解使用高效异金属过渡金属电催化剂进行二氧化碳的电化学还原可能会产生基础化学知识，从而促进将二氧化碳转化为燃料和小化学构件的进展。太阳能用于这些电催化化学转化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接受培训，一个新的无机实验室模块将被纳入本科实验室课程。外展活动包括一项计划，通过MURPPS(物理和数学科学本科生研究参与者导师计划)吸引代表性不足的学生进入化学学科，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.