Metallopolymer and metal oxide based composites for electrochemical systems

电化学反应具有广泛的应用，包括传感器、电池、燃料电池和化学合成。然而，许多期望的反应是缓慢且低效的，因此是不切实际的。该研究计划旨在开发新的化学和复合电极材料，从而为广泛的应用提供更好的电极。这项工作的重点将放在两个反应上，这两个反应有可能大大减少世界对化石燃料的依赖和绿色温室气体排放的产生：乙醇氧化和二氧化碳还原。这两种电化学反应如果能够有效地进行，将具有巨大的商业和社会价值。乙醇氧化将用于直接乙醇燃料电池，以操作车辆，并从可再生燃料源（无二氧化碳净排放）生产住宅和消费者电力，而二氧化碳减少将从绿色家用气体生产燃料。

Electrochemical reactions have wide ranging applications including sensors, batteries, fuel cells, and chemical synthesis. However, many desired reactions are slow and inefficient, and therefore impractical. This research program aims to develop new chemistry and composite electrode materials that will lead to better electrodes for a wide range of applications. The focus of the work will be on two reactions that have the potential to greatly decrease the world's dependence on fossil fuel and production of green house gas emissions: ethanol oxidation and carbon dioxide reduction. Both of these electrochemical reactions would be of immense commercial and societal value if they could be carried out efficiently. Ethanol oxidation would be used in direct ethanol fuel cells to operate vehicles and produce residential and consumer electricity from a renewable fuel source (no net carbon dioxide emission), while carbon dioxide reduction would produce fuel from a green house gas.