Sustainable fuel production through earth abundant catalysts

通过地球上丰富的催化剂可持续生产燃料

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06744
• 负责人: Chiang, Linus
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: Fraser Valley
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=714417
• 关键词: Sustainable; fuel; production; through; earth

Conventional carbon-based fossil fuel combustion currently supplies over 80% of the global energy demand. However, this process yields oxidized byproducts such as greenhouse gases that have been heavily linked to global warming. This, along with the ever-growing global population, has driven the research field of carbon-free alternative fuels production. One example of an alternative fuel is molecular hydrogen (H2), which produces environmentally benign water (H2O) as the sole product upon combustion, making H2 an attractive alternative fuel of the future. Current state-of-the-art technologies for H2 production uses scarce, and thus expensive, metals such as platinum, which is economically undesirable. The cost effective production of H2 will be key to its widespread use industrially. In addition, the chemical reduction of CO2 into reusable fuels remains an attractive route of closing the anthropogenic cycle from fossil fuel combustion. This proposal outlines the overarching goals of my research program, which will support 12 undergraduate and 2 M.Sc. students over the next 5 years, focusing on the development of inexpensive, water stable transition metal catalysts for H2 production. The production of H2 from H2O can be split into two reaction: H2O oxidation and proton (H+) reduction. Central to both reactions is the transport of H+ to and from the metal active site. Thus, the key catalyst design involves attaching H+ shuttling functionalities onto target ligand scaffolds, which is envisaged to exhibit accelerated reaction rates in comparison to catalysts without these functionalities. Modular ligand syntheses allow for subtle structural and electronic tuning of target complexes to reveal optimal catalytic properties under both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic conditions. Catalysts investigated in these projects can also be put towards CO2 reduction, and their covalent immobilization onto solid electrodes will yield heterogeneous catalysts. These future directions will introduce exciting new dimensions into my research program, potentially leading to industrial collaborations where heterogeneous catalysis is commonplace. Through these projects, students will gain HQP training in modern synthetic techniques, spectroscopic characterization and catalytic evaluations of molecular transition metal complexes and their covalently immobilized counterparts. I fully expect students graduating from my laboratory to be well-equipped with knowledge and skills necessary for a successful scientific career in both academia or industry, in Canada or worldwide.

目前，传统的碳基化石燃料燃烧满足了全球能源需求的 80% 以上。然而，这个过程会产生氧化副产品，例如与全球变暖密切相关的温室气体。这加上全球人口的不断增长，推动了无碳替代燃料生产的研究领域。替代燃料的一个例子是分子氢 (H2)，它燃烧时产生环境友好的水 (H2O) 作为唯一产物，使 H2 成为未来有吸引力的替代燃料。目前最先进的氢气生产技术使用稀有且昂贵的金属，例如铂，这在经济上是不受欢迎的。具有成本效益的氢气生产将是其在工业上广泛使用的关键。此外，将二氧化碳化学还原为可重复使用的燃料仍然是结束化石燃料燃烧的人为循环的一个有吸引力的途径。 该提案概述了我的研究计划的总体目标，该计划将支持 12 名本科生和 2 名硕士生。学生们在接下来的5年里，重点开发用于氢气生产的廉价、水稳定的过渡金属催化剂。由H2O生产H2可分为两个反应：H2O氧化和质子(H+)还原。这两个反应的核心是 H+ 往返于金属活性位点的传输。因此，关键的催化剂设计涉及将H+穿梭功能连接到目标配体支架上，与没有这些功能的催化剂相比，预计其会表现出加速的反应速率。模块化配体合成允许对目标配合物进行微妙的结构和电子调节，以揭示电催化和光催化条件下的最佳催化性能。这些项目中研究的催化剂也可用于二氧化碳还原，它们共价固定在固体电极上将产生多相催化剂。这些未来的方向将为我的研究项目引入令人兴奋的新维度，有可能导致多相催化普遍存在的工业合作。 通过这些项目，学生将获得分子过渡金属配合物及其共价固定对应物的现代合成技术、光谱表征和催化评估方面的 HQP 培训。我完全希望从我的实验室毕业的学生能够具备在加拿大或世界各地的学术界或工业界取得成功科学生涯所需的知识和技能。