Spectroscopy, Structure, and Reactivity on Electrode Surfaces

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Professor Andrew A. Gewirth and his students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are supported by the Chemical Measurements & Imaging (CMI) Program in the Division of Chemistry to develop new tools to examine the reactivity associated with different types of electrode processes. Featured in this work is the use of advanced Raman and electrochemical surface stress measurements to interrogate electrode composition and reactivity during electrocatalytic events. The processes slated for investigation include the catalysis of nitrate reduction on bare and bimetallic electrode surfaces, carbon dioxide reduction on modified surfaces, especially those involving Ag, and the oxygen evolution reaction. The group also plans to investigate hydrocarbon oxidation catalysis using non-stoichiometric oxides. Electrocatalysts are substances that promote electrochemical reactions so that they occur more quickly, efficiently or under milder conditions. Electrochemical reactions are those that proceed with electron transfer, such as the burning of fuel and the plating of metals. Many important natural and technological processes such as corrosion, deposition, remediation and energy storage involve electrochemical reactions and therefore can be improved by advances in electrocatalyst technology. The studies that will be conducted in this project will advance electrocatalyst technology by developing tools that can reveal how electrocatalysts influence the structure and behavior of chemicals involved in electrochemical reactions. The project will include focus on understanding the electrocatalysis of reactions that impact pressing societal needs, such as the reduction of nitrate and carbon dioxide, ubiquitous products of agricultural and industrial activity, respectively and the oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels and water. This work also serves as a vehicle for interdisciplinary research training. Students from many backgrounds, including those underrepresented in science, will be mentored, and hands-on science and chemical demonstrations will be performed in local schools.