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ELECTROCATALYTIC CONVERSION OF SMALL MOLECULES

Electrocatalysis

Electrocatalytic conversion of small molecules provides a bridge from renewable energy sources to direct chemical synthesis. Conventional catalysis typically relies on thermal energy provided by the burning of fossil fuels, which is detrimental to the environment. We have begun focusing on the design and optimization of electrocatalysts for elementary reactions with relevance to energy conservation and chemicals production. Thus far, we have primarily focused on the oxygen evolution reaction (vital to green hydrogen production). Through collaborations with the Zhang and Machan groups at UVA and the Goddard group at Caltech along with the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, we have primarily focused on developing hybrid catalytic materials that utilize well-defined molecular catalysts immobilized onto conductive supports. These hybrid materials potentially allow a higher degree of rational design than heterogenous materials permitting the direct design of stationary active sites on conductive surfaces.

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Heterogenization
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Relevant Publications

1. "Immobilization of "Capping Arene" Cobalt(II) Complexes on Ordered Mesoporous Carbon for Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation" Liu, C., Geer, A. M., Webber, C., Musgrave III, C. B., Gu, S., Johnson, G., Dickie, D. A., Chabbra, S., Schnegg, A., Zhou, H., Sun, C.-J., Hwang, S., Goddard III, W. A.*, Zhang, S.*, Gunnoe, T. B.* ACS Catal. 2021, 11, 15068-15082. DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c04617

2. "Non-covalent Immobilization of Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl Iridium Complexes on Ordered Mesoporous Carbon for Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation" Geer, A. M., Liu, C., Musgrave, C., Webber, C., Johnson, G., Zhou, H., Sun, C-J., Dickie, D. A., Goddard III, W. A.*, Zhang, S.*, Gunnoe, T. B.* Small Science 2021, 1, 2100037, 1-12. DOI: 10.1002/smsc.202100037 (manuscript was selected for the issue cover)

3. "Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation by a Trinuclear Copper(II) Complex" Geer, A. M., Musgrave C., Webber, C., Nielsen, R. J., McKeown, B. A., Liu, C., Schleker, P. P. M., Jakes, P., Jia, X., Dickie, D. A., Granwehr, J., Zhang, S., Machan, C. W., Goddard III, W. A., Gunnoe, T. B. ACS Catalysis 2021, 11, 7223-7240. DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c01395