Research Initiation Award: Ionic Liquid Derived and Assisted Green Catalytical System for the Small Molecule Sustainable Conversion

历史黑人学院和大学-本科项目(HBCU-UP)研究启动奖(RIA)为HBCU的STEM初级教员提供支持，他们开始建立研究项目，以及为职业生涯中期可能在担任行政职位后重返教职队伍或需要重新定向和重建研究项目的教师提供支持。教职员工可以在他们的家乡机构、NSF资助的中心、研究密集型机构或国家实验室进行研究。RIA项目有望帮助教师进一步提高研究能力和效率，改善其所在机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究体验。在国家科学基金会的支持下，路易斯安那州的私立文理学院泽维尔大学将开展研究，以解决对可持续和环境友好型催化方法的需求，使化石、温室气体和生物可再生原料能够以较低的能源需求和环境影响进行高效和有针对性的转换。路易斯安那州泽维尔大学在授予非裔美国人化学学士学位方面在全国排名很高。该项目以环境化学为重点，以招生和辅导为重点，将为学生提供实践研究和培训，以培养他们在科学生涯中适用的技能、技术和方法，并激励他们走向STEM研究生涯。该项目将极大地促进泽维尔的努力，使其研究项目既活跃又平衡，对招生、留学生和学生结果都有积极的辅助作用。本研究的目标是研究离子液体中的电化学催化反应，包括用纳米材料还原二氧化碳(CO2)，这是一种新发现的催化体系，其性质尚未被系统研究。本项目的具体目标是：1)确定离子液体中二氧化碳还原的中间体和途径，并阐明反应机理，为优化和纳米材料设计策略奠定基础；2)构建专门用于二氧化碳还原的纳米材料/离子液体并优化催化体系；3)将催化和化学处理方法相结合，建立一个可以延伸到其他小分子转化的高效二氧化碳转化体系。O2辅助的电化学反应可能为还原CO2提供一条新的途径。由于该方法能耗低，碳选择性高，在未来的实际生产中具有应用的潜力。这项研究的结果将支持未来的研究，以设计和优化更高效的二氧化碳转化和产品控制系统。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support to STEM junior faculty at HBCUs who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who may have returned to the faculty ranks after holding an administrative post or who need to redirect and rebuild a research program. Faculty members may pursue research at their home institution, at an NSF-funded Center, at a research intensive institution or at a national laboratory. The RIA projects are expected to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at his or her home institution, and to involve undergraduate students in research experiences. With support from the National Science Foundation, Xavier University of Louisiana, a private liberal arts college, will conduct research aimed at addressing the need for sustainable and environmentally-friendly catalytic methods that can permit efficient and targeted conversion of fossil, green-house gas and biorenewable feedstocks with lower energy requirements and environmental impact. Xavier University of Louisiana is ranked highly nationally for awarding African Americans bachelor's degrees in chemistry. This project, with its focus on environmental chemistry and a strong emphasis on student recruiting and mentoring, will provide hands-on research and training for students that will build skills, techniques, and methodologies applicable throughout their science career and motivate them toward STEM research careers. This project will greatly contribute to Xavier's efforts to have a research program that is both active and well balanced, having positive ancillary effects on student recruitment, retention, and student outcomes.The goal of this study is to investigate electrochemical catalytical reaction in ionic liquids including reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) with nanomaterials, a newly discovered catalytical system whose properties have not yet been studied systematically. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) identify intermediates and a pathway during the CO2 reduction in ionic liquids and elucidate the reaction mechanisms for mapping the optimization and nanomaterial design strategy; 2) build the specific nanomaterial/ionic liquid for CO2 reduction and optimize catalytical system; and 3) integrate catalysis and chemical treatment methods to establish a highly efficient system for CO2 conversion that may extend to other small molecule conversion. The O2 assisted electrochemistry reaction may provide a new route to reduce CO2. Due to the low energy consumption and high carbon selectivity, this method has the potential to apply in practical production in the future. Findings from this study will support future research to design and optimize higher efficient system for CO2 conversion and product control.