CAREER: Precise Structural Control in Transformative Catalysts for Efficient Multielectron Carbon Dioxide Reduction

能源消费是经济和国家安全的关键因素。全球能源主要通过燃烧不可再生的化石燃料获得，这些燃料释放的二氧化碳（CO2）是主要废物。成功地将二氧化碳排放物回收到富含能量的化合物中，可以经济地生产商品化学品和可再生燃料，同时减少浪费。然而，CO2很难反应，需要额外的络合物（催化剂）来帮助转化为其他分子。尽管取得了相当大的进展，但我们对催化剂结构与催化剂性能之间联系的原理的理解仍存在重大差距。在这个项目中，Jurss博士正在开发新的催化剂，以了解如何开发更有效的CO2催化剂。Jurss博士通过实践研究项目积极参与招募和指导代表性不足的本科生和密西西比高中生。 这些计划促进科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的职业生涯。Jurss博士和他的学生为密西西比州拉斐特县的一系列引人入胜的报纸文章做出了贡献，通过可再生能源的透镜提高公众意识和科学素养。在化学部化学催化计划和NSF刺激竞争研究（EPSCoR）既定计划的资助下，Jurss博士（密西西比大学）开发了基于两种策略的分子催化剂，所述策略涉及高度可调的氧化还原活性配体和明确定义的氧化还原催化剂，通过其可以在适度的电势下累积多个氧化还原当量以促进CO2的有效多电子还原。这些互补的策略集中在理解几何和电子结构如何决定活性，选择性和机制。为了控制催化剂结构，开发具有有限柔性的多齿配体框架以实现多个金属活性位点之间的反应性几何形状或明确的相互作用。Jurss博士正在用电化学和光谱技术分析这些系统，包括紫外-可见和红外光谱电化学，以建立结构-活性关系，阐明反应机理，并验证催化剂开发的设计原则。同时，Jurss博士在他的实验室提供研究机会，旨在增加STEM学科中代表性不足的学生的参与。这些夏季的研究经验，沿着一个公共宣传活动，其中Jurss博士正在为牛津之鹰撰写关于新兴能源技术的报纸文章，该奖项反映了NSF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进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

Energy consumption is a critical factor in the economy and national security. Global energy is largely obtained from burning nonrenewable fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide (CO2) as the primary waste product. Successfully recycling CO2 emissions back into energy-rich chemical compounds could produce commodity chemicals and renewable fuels economically while reducing waste. However, CO2 is hard to react and requires additional complexes (catalysts) to assist in the conversion to other molecules. Despite considerable progress, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the principles that connect catalyst structure with catalyst performance. In this project, Dr. Jurss is developing new catalysts to understand how to develop more efficient CO2 catalysts. Dr. Jurss is actively engaged in recruiting and mentoring underrepresented undergraduates and Mississippi high school students through hands-on research programs. These programs promote careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Dr. Jurss and his students contribute to a series of engaging newspaper articles in Lafayette County, MS to increase public awareness and scientific literacy through the lens of renewable energy. With funding from both the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) of NSF, Dr. Jurss (University of Mississippi) develops molecular catalysts based on two strategies involving highly tunable redox-active ligands and well-defined bimetallic catalysts, by which multiple redox equivalents can be accumulated at modest potentials to facilitate the efficient multielectron reduction of CO2. These complementary strategies center on understanding how geometric and electronic structure dictate activity, selectivity, and mechanism. In order to control catalyst structure, multidentate ligand frameworks with limited flexibility are developed to achieve more reactive geometries or explicit interactions between multiple metal active sites. Dr. Jurss is analyzing these systems with electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques, including UV-visible and infrared spectroelectrochemistry, to establish structure-activity relationships, to elucidate reaction mechanisms, and to validate design principles for catalyst development. In parallel, Dr. Jurss is providing research opportunities in his laboratory that aim to increase the involvement of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines. These summer research experiences, along with a public outreach activity in which Dr. Jurss is writing newspaper articles on emerging energy technologies for The Oxford Eagle, support the broader impacts of the project and highlight the role of scientists in addressing global energy challenges.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.