Excellence in Research: CAS: Rationally Designed Porous Metal Nanoarchitectures for Electrochemical Reduction of CO2

在化学系化学催化项目的支持下，北卡罗来纳州AT州立大学的Bishnu Prasad Bastakoti博士正在研究基于材料的解决方案，以解决目前因二氧化碳水平增加而产生的问题。 该项目为开发用于CO2回收和储能的新催化剂提供了框架。将CO2转化为所需的化学产品为燃料和有用的化学品提供了碳的替代来源。拟议项目的教育计划向参与者介绍材料设计在应对当前和未来能源相关挑战方面的重要性。北卡罗来纳州AT州立大学是一所官方认可的少数民族机构，HBCU和赠地机构。通过让学生参与当前的研究来培养化学和材料科学的学生，将有助于他们发展工业职位或高等教育所需的技术。Bastakoti博士将与K-12教师合作，制定将研究与课堂学习相结合的课程计划，并将影响许多高中生。该提案的研究和综合教育部分将解决二氧化碳转化和利用方面的若干挑战以及科学和社会层面的重要问题。北卡罗来纳州AT州立大学的Bishnu Prasad Bastakoti正在研究使用多孔金属/合金系统来解决必要的机械问题，以了解将含水二氧化碳还原为理想产品。在Bastakoti实验室制备的两亲性嵌段共聚物被用作模板和结构导向剂来合成铜及其合金的自支撑纳米多孔框架。嵌段共聚物和可溶性无机前体的协同自组装，然后进行化学还原，将得到高度多孔的金属框架。互连的纳米孔提供了具有大量原子台阶、扭结和Cu（100）刻面的Cu催化剂，这些原子台阶、扭结和Cu（100）刻面促进在CO2的电化学还原中形成C2产物。将其他金属添加到Cu中提供了多金属界面，其通过两种金属之间的协同相互作用促进关键中间体的稳定性并促进CO2还原。催化位点足够紧密地结合关键中间体以设置C-C偶联的足够覆盖，但不会紧密到增加相应的活化势垒。由于二次金属进入铜框架的压缩应变有利于对活性物种的结合，并为开发新的纳米结构多金属催化剂提供了一种有吸引力的方法，以提高活性，同时将选择性转向更理想的产品。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审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the support of the Chemical Catalysis program in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Bishnu Prasad Bastakoti of North Carolina A&T State University is studying materials based solutions to address the current problems resulting from increasing CO2 levels. The project provides a framework for the development of new catalysts for CO2 recycling and energy storage. Converting CO2 into desired chemical products provides an alternative source of carbon for fuels and useful chemicals. The educational plan of the proposed project introduces participants to the importance of materials design in addressing current and future energy-related challenges. North Carolina A&T State University is an officially recognized minority institution, an HBCU, and a land-grant institution. Training students in chemistry and materials science by involving them in current research will help them to develop the techniques necessary for industrial positions or in higher-level education. Dr. Bastakoti will work with K-12 teachers to develop lesson plans that integrate research with classroom studies, and will impact many high school students. The research and integrated education components of this proposal will address several challenges in carbon dioxide conversion and utilization as well as important issues at the scientific and societal levels.Bishnu Prasad Bastakoti of North Carolina A&T State University is studying the use of porous metal/alloy systems to address mechanistic questions necessary to understand the reduction of aqueous CO2 to desirable products. Amphiphilic block copolymers prepared in the Bastakoti laboratory are being used as a template and structure directing agent to synthesize self-supported nanoporous frameworks of Cu and its alloys. The co-operative self-assembly of block copolymers and soluble inorganic precursors followed by chemical reduction will give highly porous metal frameworks. The interconnected nanopores provides a Cu catalyst with a large number of atomic steps, kinks, and Cu(100) facets that facilitate the formation of C2 products in the electrochemical reduction of CO2. The addition of other metal(s) into the Cu provides multimetallic interfaces that promote the stability of key intermediates through synergistic interactions between the two metals and facilitate CO2 reduction. The catalytic sites bind the key intermediates tightly enough to set a sufficient coverage for C-C coupling but not so tightly as to increase the corresponding activation barrier. The compressive strains due to secondary metal into Cu framework favors the binding toward reactive species and offers an attractive method for the development of new nanostructured multimetallic catalysts to improve activity while simultaneously steering selectivity toward more desirable products.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.