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生计划（HBCU-UP）研究启动奖（RIAs）为HBCU的STEM初级教师提供支持，他们开始建立研究计划，以及职业生涯中期的教师，他们可能在担任行政职务或需要重新定向和重建研究计划后返回教师队伍。教师可以在他们的家乡机构，在NSF资助的中心，在研究密集型机构或在国家实验室进行研究。RIA项目预计将有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善他或她的家乡机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，路易斯安那州泽维尔大学，一所私立文理学院，将进行旨在解决可持续和环境友好型催化方法需求的研究，这些方法可以允许化石，温室气体和生物可再生原料的高效和有针对性的转化，降低能源需求和环境影响。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靠前。 这个项目，其重点是环境化学和学生招聘和辅导的重点，将提供动手研究和培训的学生，将建立技能，技术和方法适用于整个科学生涯，并激励他们对干研究事业。该项目将极大地促进Xavier的努力，使研究计划既积极又平衡，对学生的招募，保留和学生的成绩产生积极的辅助作用。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），一种新发现的催化体系，其性质尚未得到系统研究。本项目的具体目标是：1）确定离子液体中CO2还原反应的中间体和反应途径，阐明反应机理，为优化和纳米材料设计提供依据; 2）构建特定的纳米材料/离子液体CO2还原催化体系，优化催化体系; 3）将催化和化学处理方法相结合，建立高效的CO2转化体系，并可扩展到其他小分子转化。 O2辅助的电化学反应可能为CO2的还原提供一条新的途径。该方法具有能耗低、碳选择性高等优点，具有在实际生产中应用的潜力。本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.