Earth-abundant Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Synthesis of Renewable Fuels

温室气体驱动的气候变化已经成为地球上一股强大的力量，影响着我们的环境和世界领导人的决策。因此，减缓二氧化碳（CO2）排放和减缓气候变化已成为研究的热点。虽然提出了许多具体的解决办法，但都围绕着消除我们对石油产品能源的依赖这一共同主题。可再生能源，如太阳能和风能，一直在迅速发展，并提供了一个有吸引力的选择，但由于其发电的间歇性，其实际效用受到限制。因此，有效利用这种可再生能源需要适当的储能手段。与电池和其他常见的储能材料相比，由二氧化碳催化合成的可再生燃料尤其具有吸引力，因为它们承诺提供稳定、长期的储能手段，同时降低大气中二氧化碳的浓度。特别是气相多相催化，能够建立在几十年的工业知识基础上解决这个问题。然而，为了对气候变化产生明显的影响，我们必须更好地了解如何在工业规模上优化和生产这些催化剂。目标：为了在全球范围内实现二氧化碳的减排，也有必要开发简单、经济、可扩展的方法来合成这些催化剂；我们将通过使用最小加工来制备用于气相非均相反应的金属矿石来探索这一点。我们将通过使用高灵敏度的原位表征技术来进一步了解这些催化剂材料，不仅可以探测它们在实际反应条件下的活性形式，还可以探测它们表面上的特定活性位点。参与这些项目的HQP将接受各种多功能材料表征技术的培训，包括基于同步加速器的x射线光谱，同时获得无机合成和催化活性测量方法的基本经验。与工业伙伴的合作将提供跨学科学习的机会，专门的旅行支持将确保HQP有充足的机会发展他们的口头和书面沟通技巧，同时在国内和国际层面的会议上传播他们的研究。影响：深入了解这些催化剂的表面结构和行为将使我们能够确定产生特殊催化活性的关键因素，从而开发下一代高性能材料。结合简单而经济的催化剂合成技术，这将使我们更接近可再生燃料技术的大规模应用，帮助我们打破对石油的依赖，为子孙后代提供一个更清洁、更健康的未来。

Greenhouse gas-driven climate change has emerged as a powerful force on our planet, impacting both our environment and the decisions of world leaders. As a result, the mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and alleviation of climate change has become a hot topic of research. While many specific solutions have been proposed, all center on the common theme of eliminating our dependence on petroleum products for energy. Renewable sources of energy, like solar and wind, have been developing rapidly and offer an appealing option, but are limited in their practical utility by the intermittency of their power generation. Thus, making effective use of such renewable energy requires appropriate means of energy storage. In comparison to batteries and other common energy storage materials, renewable fuels synthesized catalytically from CO2 are especially appealing, as they promise a means of stable, long-term energy storage while simultaneously reducing the atmospheric concentration of CO2. Gas-phase heterogeneous catalysis, in particular, is able to build on decades of industrial knowledge to tackle this problem. In order to have an appreciable effect on climate change, however, it is imperative that we better understand how to optimize and produce these catalysts on an industrial scale. Goals: In order to effect CO2 reduction on a global scale, it will also be necessary to develop simple, economical, and scalable methods for synthesizing these catalysts; we will explore this by using minimal processing to prepare metal ores as use in gas-phase heterogeneous reactions. We will further advance understanding of these catalyst materials by using highly sensitive in situ characterization techniques to probe not only their active forms under realistic reaction conditions, but also the specific active sites operating at their surfaces. HQP involved in these projects will receive training in a variety of versatile materials characterization techniques, including synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopies, while gaining essential experience with inorganic synthesis and catalytic activity measurement methods. Collaboration with industrial partners will provide opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, and dedicated travel support will ensure that HQP have ample opportunity to develop their oral and written communication skills while disseminating their research at conferences on the national and international levels. Impact: Obtaining deeper insights into the surface structure and behaviour of these catalysts will enable us to identify key factors responsible for exceptional catalytic activity, leading to the next generation of high-performance materials. In conjunction with simple and cost-effective catalyst synthesis techniques, this will enable us to advance even closer to the large-scale application renewable fuel technologies and help us to break our dependence on petroleum and provide a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come.