NSF-BSF: Deciphering Molecule-Carbon Nanotube Interactions for Environmental Remediation Reactions

NSF-BSF：破译分子-碳纳米管相互作用的环境修复反应电化学反应是新兴的手段，以有效地去除环境有关的化学物种在温和的反应条件下，不需要苛刻的化学反应物，并由可再生能源供电。纳米结构的催化剂材料，特别是那些具有强相互作用的多组分的催化剂材料，极大地提高了许多电化学反应的性能。然而，这些相互作用的形式和性质以及它们如何调节材料的催化性能仍然难以捉摸，并且阻碍了对机理的理解和性能优化。在这个项目中，耶鲁大学的王海亮博士和州立大学俄亥俄州的Robert Baker博士将与耶路撒冷的研究人员合作，结合联合收割机材料合成、反应研究和光谱技术，对酞菁钴这种金属配位化合物与碳纳米管之间的纳米级和分子相互作用进行详细分析。从这项研究中获得的知识将应用于二氧化碳利用和水净化的反应。该项目还将通过外展活动，课堂教学和研究培训为STEM领域的多元化学生提供环境化学和工程方面的教育机会。耶鲁大学的王海亮博士和俄亥俄州州立大学的罗伯特·贝克博士与耶路撒冷的研究人员合作，将分析酞菁钴和碳纳米管之间的纳米级和分子相互作用，以及利用这些相互作用优化杂化材料在环境应用中的电催化性能的方法。假设那些静态相互作用，即电子迁移，控制催化反应中材料的热力学行为，而动态相互作用，即电子转移速率，影响催化动力学。该团队将利用材料合成和反应研究、高空间分辨率光谱学和时间分辨光谱学方面的专业知识来验证这一假设。静态和动态的相互作用作为功能的材料的结构参数，包括负载，分散，几何形状，和连接的酞菁钴在碳纳米管表面，将进行分析。将建立基本的结构-反应性相关性。所获得的机制的理解将被用来进一步提高二氧化碳转化为甲醇和硝酸盐还原的环境修复反应，通过定制的纳米尺度和分子相互作用。该项目还将通过外联活动、课堂教学、和研究培训，以学生在干领域的多元化机构。这项研究是由美国国家科学基金会和美国-以色列两国科学基金会通过特别提交机会NSF 20-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。

NSF-BSF: Deciphering Molecule-Carbon Nanotube Interactions for Environmental Remediation ReactionsElectrochemical reactions are emerging means to the efficient removal of environmentally concerning chemical species under mild reaction conditions, without the need for harsh chemical reactants, and powered by renewable energy sources. Nanostructured catalyst materials, especially those featuring multiple components with strong interactions, have greatly advanced the performance of many electrochemical reactions. However, the form and nature of these interactions and how they regulate the catalytic properties of the material remain elusive and is hampering both mechanistic understanding and performance optimization. In this project, in collaboration with researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Hailiang Wang of Yale University and Dr. Robert Baker of the Ohio State University will combine materials synthesis, reaction studies, and spectroscopy techniques to perform detailed analysis of the nanoscale and molecular interactions between cobalt phthalocyanine, a metal coordination compound, and carbon nanotubes. Knowledge obtained from this research will be applied to reactions in carbon dioxide utilization and water purification. This project will also provide educational opportunities in environmental chemistry and engineering via outreach activities, classroom teaching, and research training to a diverse body of students in STEM fields. Dr. Hailiang Wang of Yale University and Dr. Robert Baker of the Ohio State University, in collaboration with researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will analyze the nanoscale and molecular interactions between cobalt phthalocyanine and carbon nanotube and the ways by which these interactions can be utilized to optimize the electrocatalytic performance of the hybrid material for environmental applications. It is hypothesized those static interactions, i.e. electron relocation, controls the material’s thermodynamic behavior in the catalytic reaction, whereas dynamic interactions, i.e. the electron transfer rate, influences the catalytic kinetics. The team will leverage expertise in materials synthesis and reaction studies, high-spatial-resolution spectroscopy, and time-resolved spectroscopy to test the hypothesis. Static and dynamic interactions as functions of the material’s structural parameters, including the loading, dispersion, geometry, and linkage of cobalt phthalocyanine on carbon nanotube surface, will be analyzed. Fundamental structure-reactivity correlations will be established. Obtained mechanistic understanding will be utilized to further improve the environmental remediation reactions of carbon dioxide conversion to methanol and nitrate reduction by tailoring the nanoscale and molecular interactions. This project will also provide educational opportunities in environmental chemistry and engineering via outreach activities, classroom teaching, and research training to a diverse body of students in STEM fields.This research is jointly funded by NSF and The US-Israel Binational Science foundation through the special submission opportunity NSF 20-094.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.