CAREER: Elucidating How the Liquid Side of the Electrochemical Interface Controls Catalytic Selectivity during Carbon Dioxide Reduction

有效利用二氧化碳可以为基本化学品和燃料提供可持续的途径。这些过程有助于减少可能导致环境变化的二氧化碳排放。结合使用电和催化（电催化）将二氧化碳转化为有价值的产品是解决这一问题的一个有希望的解决方案。选择性地生产单一化学品而不是混合物仍然是采用该技术的一大障碍。为了应对这一挑战，Matthias Waegele博士正在寻求理解物理和化学性质如何控制电催化过程的产物选择性。从该项目中获得的见解对于设计具有高产品选择性的二氧化碳转化过程至关重要。Waegele博士正在与非学术团体和代表性不足的本科生一起学习化学在开发可持续能源方面的核心作用。这些活动包括为少数民族本科生提供研究实习机会，为高中生提供研讨会，以提高参与者对科学事业的兴趣。波士顿学院的Matthias Waegele在化学系化学催化项目的支持下，研究铜(Cu)/电解质界面的液体侧如何控制电催化二氧化碳还原为碳氢化合物的产物选择性。为了建立强有力的界面性质/反应性关系，他的研究团队通过表面选择性红外（IR）和拉曼光谱来表征电催化界面，同时通过差分电化学质谱（DEMS）监测从同一界面演变的反应产物。具体来说，Waegele博士及其同事正在阐明阳离子、共吸附剂、界面水以及表面吸附CO（二氧化碳还原的关键中间体）的覆盖范围、位置分布和动力学如何影响界面性质，从而影响催化选择性。Waegele博士和他的团队正在通过设计具有高碳氢化合物演化选择性的催化界面，进一步测试其界面性质/反应性关系的实用性。Waegele博士积极参与协同教育活动，以促进对化学科学如何促进可持续能源发展的兴趣。这些教育项目包括研究实习和研讨会，目标群体是代表性不足的本科生和非学术群体。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Efficient use of carbon dioxide could provide sustainable routes to essential chemicals and fuels. Such processes could help reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that may contribute to environmental changes. The combined use of electricity and catalysis (electrocatalysis) to convert carbon dioxide to valuable products is a promising solution to this problem. The selective production of a single chemical instead of a mixture remains a great obstacle to the adoption of this technology. To address this challenge, Dr. Matthias Waegele is seeking to understand how the physical and chemical properties control the product selectivity of electrocatalytic processes. The insights derived from this project are critical for the design of carbon dioxide conversion processes with high product selectivity. Dr. Waegele is engaging non-academic communities and underrepresented undergraduate students in learning about chemistry's central role in developing sustainable energy sources. These activities include research internships for minority undergraduate students and workshops for high school students to promote participant interest in scientific careers.Dr. Matthias Waegele of Boston College is supported by the Chemical Catalysis program in the Division of Chemistry to study how the liquid side of the copper (Cu)/electrolyte interface exerts control over the product selectivity of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction to hydrocarbons. To establish robust interfacial property/reactivity relationships, his research team is characterizing the electrocatalytic interface by surface-selective infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies while simultaneously monitoring the reaction products evolving from the same interface by differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS). Specifically, Dr. Waegele and co-workers are elucidating how cations, co-adsorbates, interfacial water, and the coverage, site-distribution, and dynamics of surface-adsorbed CO (a key intermediate in carbon dioxide reduction) affect interfacial properties and thereby impact catalytic selectivity. Dr. Waegele and his team are further testing the utility of their interfacial property/reactivity relationships by designing catalytic interfaces with high selectivities for hydrocarbon evolution. Dr. Waegele is actively engaged in synergistic educational activities to promote interest in how the chemical sciences contribute to the development of sustainable energy sources. The educational programs, which include research internships and workshops, target underrepresented undergraduates and non-academic communities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.