Sustainable fuel production through earth abundant catalysts

通过地球上丰富的催化剂可持续生产燃料

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06744
• 负责人: Chiang, Linus
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: University of the Fraser Valley
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=747822
• 关键词: Sustainable; fuel; production; through; earth

Conventional carbon-based fossil fuel combustion currently supplies over 80% of the global energy demand. However, this process yields oxidized byproducts such as greenhouse gases that have been heavily linked to global warming. This, along with the ever-growing global population, has driven the research field of carbon-free alternative fuels production. One example of an alternative fuel is molecular hydrogen (H2), which produces environmentally benign water (H2O) as the sole product upon combustion, making H2 an attractive alternative fuel of the future. Current state-of-the-art technologies for H2 production uses scarce, and thus expensive, metals such as platinum, which is economically undesirable. The cost effective production of H2 will be key to its widespread use industrially. In addition, the chemical reduction of CO2 into reusable fuels remains an attractive route of closing the anthropogenic cycle from fossil fuel combustion.This proposal outlines the overarching goals of my research program, which will support 12 undergraduate and 2 M.Sc. students over the next 5 years, focusing on the development of inexpensive, water stable transition metal catalysts for H2 production. The production of H2 from H2O can be split into two reaction: H2O oxidation and proton (H+) reduction. Central to both reactions is the transport of H+ to and from the metal active site. Thus, the key catalyst design involves attaching H+ shuttling functionalities onto target ligand scaffolds, which is envisaged to exhibit accelerated reaction rates in comparison to catalysts without these functionalities. Modular ligand syntheses allow for subtle structural and electronic tuning of target complexes to reveal optimal catalytic properties under both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic conditions. Catalysts investigated in these projects can also be put towards CO2 reduction, and their covalent immobilization onto solid electrodes will yield heterogeneous catalysts. These future directions will introduce exciting new dimensions into my research program, potentially leading to industrial collaborations where heterogeneous catalysis is commonplace. Through these projects, students will gain HQP training in modern synthetic techniques, spectroscopic characterization and catalytic evaluations of molecular transition metal complexes and their covalently immobilized counterparts. I fully expect students graduating from my laboratory to be well-equipped with knowledge and skills necessary for a successful scientific career in both academia or industry, in Canada or worldwide.

传统的碳基化石燃料燃烧目前供应全球能源需求的80%以上。然而，这一过程会产生氧化的副产品，如与全球变暖密切相关的温室气体。沿着全球人口的不断增长，推动了无碳替代燃料生产的研究领域。替代燃料的一个例子是分子氢（H2），其在燃烧时产生环境友好的水（H2O）作为唯一产物，使得H2成为未来有吸引力的替代燃料。目前用于H2生产的现有技术使用稀缺且因此昂贵的金属如铂，这在经济上是不期望的。具有成本效益的H2生产将是其在工业上广泛使用的关键。此外，化学还原CO2到可重复使用的燃料仍然是一个有吸引力的路线关闭从化石燃料combustion.This建议的人为循环概述了我的研究计划的总体目标，这将支持12名本科生和2名硕士学生在未来5年，重点是发展廉价的，水稳定的过渡金属催化剂的H2生产。从H2O生成H2可以分为两个反应：H2O氧化和质子（H+）还原。这两个反应的核心是H+往返于金属活性位点的传输。因此，关键的催化剂设计涉及将H+穿梭功能连接到靶配体支架上，与没有这些功能的催化剂相比，设想其表现出加速的反应速率。模块化配体合成允许对目标络合物进行精细的结构和电子调谐，以揭示在电催化和光催化条件下的最佳催化性能。在这些项目中研究的催化剂也可以用于CO2还原，它们共价固定在固体电极上将产生多相催化剂。这些未来的方向将为我的研究计划引入令人兴奋的新维度，可能会导致多相催化司空见惯的工业合作。通过这些项目，学生将获得现代合成技术，光谱表征和分子过渡金属络合物及其共价固定对应物的催化评价方面的HQP培训。我完全希望从我的实验室毕业的学生能够具备在学术界或工业界，在加拿大或世界范围内成功从事科学事业所需的知识和技能。