CAREER: Dual Function Materials for Capture and Conversion of CO2 into Methanol and Higher Alcohols

该项目将合成、表征和评估能够捕获二氧化碳(CO2)并将其催化转化为更有价值的化学品的材料。具体地说，在燃烧源(例如发电厂的烟道气)的废气中捕获和转化二氧化碳是一个有吸引力的选择，因为它同时具有经济和环境效益。为了实现更高效的二氧化碳转化，该项目将设计新的材料，将吸附剂和催化组件定位在纳米级的近距离。这种双重功能的方法可能会取代现有的多步骤工艺，这些工艺更耗能，需要腐蚀性二氧化碳捕获和储存技术。该项目还将研究与教育和外联工作联系起来，以提高对二氧化碳排放的环境后果的认识，同时鼓励年轻妇女和科学和工程领域代表性不足的群体对STEM活动感兴趣。该项目将采用受控合成和表征方法来：(1)开发包含高密度界面中心的金属-金属氧化物复合纳米颗粒；(2)合成能够捕获二氧化碳并将其转化为甲醇和高级醇的双功能材料；(3)在吸附剂和催化中心周围产生二氧化碳微环境，以更有效地捕获二氧化碳；以及(4)通过使用新的湿化学方法缓解催化剂的失活。该项目的成功完成将促进对二氧化碳一锅浓缩、捕获和催化转化为甲醇和其他增值产品的机理的理解，这是可持续减少向大气排放二氧化碳的战略目标。这项研究将由一个不同的团队进行，并将与教育活动相结合。作为一名拉美裔女性，研究人员对增加代表不足的群体参与科学有着浓厚的兴趣，为了实现这一目标，该项目将通过托莱多大学向托莱多公立学校提供的智慧、拉丁裔青年峰会和EXCEL项目，为俄亥俄州农村社区的移民学生和其他代表不足的学生提供实践经验。学生将被介绍化学反应和催化，并将学习二氧化碳排放和全球变暖之间的联系。研究人员还将制作一本名为《你身边的女科学家》的涂色书，将在俄亥俄州西北部的小学分发，目的是鼓励女孩参与科学。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The project will synthesize, characterize, and evaluate materials capable of both capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) and catalyzing its conversion to more valuable chemicals. Specifically, capture and conversion at the exhaust of combustion sources (e.g., flue gas at power plants) is an attractive option for CO2 valorization due to its simultaneous economic and environmental benefits. To achieve more efficient CO2 conversion, the project will design novel materials that locate the sorbent and catalytic components in close proximity at the nanoscale. This dual-function approach can potentially replace existing multi-step processes that are more energy intensive and require corrosive CO2 capture and storage technologies. The project also links the research with educational and outreach efforts to raise awareness of environmental consequences of CO2 emissions while encouraging interest in STEM activities amongst young women and underrepresented groups in science and engineering. The project will employ controlled synthesis and characterization methods to: (1) develop metal-metal oxide composite nanoparticles containing a high density of interfacial sites, (2) synthesize dual-function materials able to capture and convert CO2 to methanol and higher alcohols, (3) generate CO2 microenvironments around sorbent and catalytic sites for more efficient CO2 capture, and (4) mitigate catalyst deactivation by using a novel wet chemical method. Successful completion of this project will advance the understanding of mechanisms involved in one-pot concentration, capture, and catalytic conversion of CO2 to methanol and other value-added products, a strategic goal for sustainable reduction of CO2 release to the atmosphere. This research will be performed by a diverse team and will be integrated with educational activities. As a Hispanic woman, the investigator has a strong interest in increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in science, and to this goal, the project will provide hands-on experiences to migrant students in Ohio's rural communities and other underrepresented students through the WISDOM, Latino Youth Summit, and EXCEL programs that The University of Toledo offers to Toledo Public Schools. Students will be introduced to chemical reactions and catalysis, and will learn about connections between CO2 emissions and global warming. The investigator will also create a coloring book entitled "Women Scientists Near You," to be distributed at primary schools in Northwest Ohio with the aim to encourage the participation of girls in science.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.