Transfer Hydrogenation: A Paradigm for Reversible Electrocatalysts

这个奖项从化学催化计划，教授罗伯特M。斯坦福大学的Waymouth将开发用于醇类电脱氢的电催化剂。研究的具体挑战是在低过电位下对醇进行电氧化，以最大限度地提高阳极电氧化催化剂的能量效率。指导该计划的一个中心假设是，过渡金属催化剂对酮与醇的可逆转移氢化具有活性，构成醇电脱氢催化剂的有希望的候选者。介导可逆转移氢化反应的催化剂在醇氧化的可逆电位下操作;一个巨大的挑战是利用这种有前途的反应性来开发用于可逆电氧化的新的电催化剂。已经开发的化学转移氢化催化的机理概念将用于指导研究，并设计新的策略，以促进质子和电子转移，这对节能的电氧化催化至关重要。将化学燃料高效转化为有用的能源形式对我们的能源未来至关重要。这项工作将为从化学燃料中提取电子的策略以及将化学能转化为电能的燃料电池阳极电催化剂的基础科学提供新的见解。这项研究的发现将阐明介导化学能高效转化为有用形式电能的关键原理。这些新的见解不仅将为寻求更有效的燃料电池催化剂提供信息，而且对所有介导电能和化学能相互转换的技术都至关重要。此外，PI将致力于培养新一代在这一经济相关领域具有专业知识的科学家。

With this award from the Chemical Catalysis Program, Professor Robert M. Waymouth of Stanford University will develop electrocatalysts for electrodehydrogenation of alcohols. Specific challenges for investigation are electrooxidation of alcohols at low overpotentials to maximize the energy efficiency of anode electrooxidation catalysts. A central hypothesis guiding this program is that transition metal catalysts active for the reversible transfer hydrogenation of ketones with alcohols constitute promising candidates for alcohol electrodehydrogenation catalysts. Catalysts which mediate reversible transfer hydrogenation reactions operate at the reversible potential for alcohol oxidation; a grand challenge is to exploit this promising reactivity to develop new electrocatalysts for reversible electrooxidation. Mechanistic concepts that have been developed for chemical transfer hydrogenation catalysis will be used to guide the research and to devise new strategies to facilitate the proton and electron transfers that are critical to energy-efficient electrooxidation catalysis. The energy-efficient conversion of chemical fuels into useful forms of energy is critical to our energy future. This work will provide new insights on strategies for extracting electrons from chemical fuels and the fundamental science that underlies anode electrocatalysts for fuel cells that convert chemical energy into electricity. Discoveries from this research will illuminate key principles in mediating the energy efficient conversion of chemical energy into useful forms of electrical energy. These new insights will not only inform the quest for more efficient fuel cell catalysts, but are central to all technologies that mediate the interconversion of electrical energy and chemical energy. In addition, the PI will contribute to develop a new generation of scientists with expertise in this economically relevant field.