(554e) Electrocatalytic Carbon Fixation on Molecular-Material Hybrids | AIChE

(554e) Electrocatalytic Carbon Fixation on Molecular-Material Hybrids

Authors 

Cao, Z. - Presenter, UC Berkeley
Chang, C., UC Berkeley
Our research focuses on the development of catalysts for CO2 reduction as a route towards the storage of intermittent renewable energy sources. New catalysts for carbon-neutral energy conversion processes are essential to addressing climate change and rising global energy demands. We are taking a unified approach to this small-molecule activation problem by developing molecularly functionalized materials catalysts for CO2 reduction that can be used in parallel under environmentally green, aqueous conditions. Molecular materials derived from molecular-nanoparticle composites and molecular-bulk materials hybrids, complement heterogeneous catalyst designs. In particular, we are inspired by recent advances in organometallic chemistry, where careful design and modification of ligand structures has led to novel reactivity of small molecule organometallic complexes for homogeneous catalysis of organic reactions. As such, these molecular-material hybrids can be thought of as heterogeneous analogs to homogeneous organometallic complexes. Our latest work on the development of systems capable of CO2 and CO reduction to C-C coupled products will be discussed in this presentation.