Salehi-Khojin, 1512647 Future energy sustainability and greenhouse gas mitigation would both benefit from man-made processes that mimic the photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide. Electrocatalysis is one such approach, but its application has been limited by high cost and unsatisfactory performance of commonly used precious metal catalysts such as silver and gold. This proposal explores the potential of inexpensive and earth-abundant materials as electocatalysts for converting carbon dioxide to energy-rich chemicals. The investigator will engage both PhD students and undergraduate minority students in this combined experimental and theoretical study aimed at benefiting society through the development of a sustainable carbon cycle.
The study will advance knowledge in the design of earth-abundant electrocatalysts by building on the investigator's previous discovery that transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) reduce carbon dioxide at low over-potential and extremely high reduction rate via different reaction driving forces than typical of precious metal catalysts. The work will explore the mechanism and kinetics of carbon dioxide reduction to synthesis gas in ionic aqueous electrolyte media using molybdenum disulfide and other TMDCs as catalysts, and by exploring synthesis techniques that promote formation of highly active edge sites both with and without inserted host atoms. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations will be used to gain in-depth understanding of the carbon dioxide reduction mechanism at the molecular level. To this end, the study will elucidate the key parameters that govern the chemistry of the new TMDC catalysts and enable the design of high-performance electrochemical processes for converting carbon dioxide to useful products.
