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

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科项目（HBCU-UP）研究启动奖（RIAs）为hbcu中开始建立研究项目的STEM初级教师提供支持，也为那些在担任行政职务后可能已经回到教师队伍或需要重新定向和重建研究项目的职业中期教师提供支持。教师可以在自己的学校、美国国家科学基金会资助的中心、研究密集型机构或国家实验室进行研究。RIA项目将有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善其所在机构的研究和教学，并使本科生参与研究经验。在美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation）的支持下，路易斯安那州泽维尔大学（Xavier University of Louisiana）——一所私立文理学院——将开展一项研究，旨在解决对可持续和环境友好型催化方法的需求，这种方法可以有效和有针对性地转化化石、温室气体和生物可再生原料，同时降低能源需求和对环境的影响。路易斯安那州泽维尔大学因授予非裔美国人化学学士学位而在全国排名很高。该项目以环境化学为重点，强调学生的招募和指导，将为学生提供实践研究和培训，培养他们在科学生涯中适用的技能、技术和方法，并激励他们从事STEM研究事业。这个项目将极大地促进泽维尔大学的努力，使其拥有一个既活跃又平衡的研究项目，对学生的招收、保留和学生的成绩都有积极的辅助作用。本研究的目的是研究离子液体中纳米材料还原二氧化碳（CO2）的电化学催化反应，纳米材料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CO2还原的中间体和途径，阐明反应机理，绘制优化和纳米材料设计策略；2)构建CO2还原专用纳米材料/离子液体，优化催化体系；3)整合催化和化学处理方法，建立一个可扩展到其他小分子转化的高效CO2转化体系。O2辅助电化学反应为二氧化碳还原提供了一条新的途径。该方法具有低能耗、高碳选择性等优点，具有应用于实际生产的潜力。本研究的结果将支持未来设计和优化更高效的二氧化碳转化和产品控制系统的研究。

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.