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我们这个星球上的一股强大力量，影响着我们的环境和世界各国领导人的决策。因此，减缓二氧化碳(CO2)排放、减缓气候变化已成为研究的热点。虽然已经提出了许多具体的解决方案，但所有这些解决方案都围绕着一个共同的主题：消除我们对石油产品的能源依赖。太阳能和风能等可再生能源发展迅速，提供了一个有吸引力的选择，但由于其发电的间歇性，其实际用途受到限制。因此，有效利用这种可再生能源需要适当的能源储存手段。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特别有吸引力，因为它们有望在降低大气中二氧化碳浓度的同时，实现稳定、长期的能源储存。尤其是气相多相催化，能够建立在数十年的工业知识基础上来解决这一问题。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减排，还需要开发简单、经济和可扩展的方法来合成这些催化剂；我们将通过使用最少的加工来制备用于气相多相反应的金属矿石来探索这一点。我们将通过使用高灵敏的原位表征技术来进一步加深对这些催化剂材料的理解，不仅探索它们在现实反应条件下的活性形式，而且探索它们表面操作的特定活性中心。参与这些项目的HQP将接受各种通用材料表征技术的培训，包括基于同步加速器的X射线光谱分析，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，专门的旅行支助将确保总部有充分的机会发展他们的口头和书面沟通技能，同时在国家和国际一级的会议上传播他们的研究成果。影响：更深入地了解这些催化剂的表面结构和行为将使我们能够确定导致非凡催化活性的关键因素，从而产生下一代高性能材料。与简单、经济高效的催化剂合成技术相结合，这将使我们能够更接近可再生燃料技术的大规模应用，并帮助我们摆脱对石油的依赖，为子孙后代提供更清洁、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.