Proceedings of Online nanoGe Fall Meeting 20 (OnlineNFM20)
Publication date: 4th October 2020
Electrochemical conversion of abundant feedstocks to fuels and value-added chemicals is rapidly gaining significance as a promising method to harness renewable electricity. Specific reactions within this context that my research group is focused on are the reduction of CO2 and oxidation of waste biomass. Because the design of new catalytic systems is inherently linked to a precise understanding of how these reactions proceed on heterogeneous surfaces, we put considerable efforts in developing methodology for opernado probing with Raman spectroscopy CO2 reduction and biomass valorization. This talk will detail our efforts in the design, electrochemical characterization, and spectroscopic investigation of
1) Composite systems of metallic nanoparticles decorated with functional organic ligands with steer CO2 reduction reactions down a select pathway on their surface
2) CO2 catalysis at the material-Metal Organic Framework (MOF) interface
3) Electrochemical oxidationof 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) on gold and transition metal oxide surface
In all, I show how using opernado Raman spectroscopy provides the mechanistic information on surface reaction mechanisms that enhance our understanding of functional hybrid interfaces and provides avenues for future materials design within the context of electrosynthesis of fuels and chemicals.