Research
Motivation and Philosophy
Our goal is to develop catalytic technologies that address urgent challenges in energy sustainability and carbon circularity. To this end, our research focuses on improving fundamental understanding of thermochemical and electrochemical catalytic transformations that convert alternative, recalcitrant chemical feedstocks into fuels, chemicals, and materials necessary for societal function.
Energy-related catalysis in molten salts
Molten salts are high-temperature ionic liquids that offer unique opportunities for steering hydrocarbon catalysis by stabilizing catalytic intermediates non-existent in legacy reaction media. By leveraging concepts in redox chemistry, acid-base chemistry, and electrochemistry, the chemical potential of these key intermediates will be controlled to direct catalytic reactivity towards high-value products.
Electrifying hydrogen- and oxygen-atom transfer catalysis
Electrochemical measurement and control of H- and O-atom speciation and population on metal surfaces facilitates molecular-level clarification of catalytic activity across a tremendous diversity of reaction classes (e.g., hydrogenolysis, (de-)hydrogenation, and epoxidation). These electrochemically-informed analyses will be allied with operando spectroscopy and rigorous analytical formalisms of reaction kinetics and mass transport to formulate a holistic, detailed description of catalysis.
