Group Overview Research    in    the    Saouma    group    focuses    on    catalyst    development    for    energy    applications.    We    are particularly   interested   in   understanding   how   to   facilitate   the   multi-electron,   multi-proton   interconversion   of small molecules that are relevant to our global energy landscape. Recycling CO₂ Studies show that to limit global warming to < 2 ^o C above the pre-industrial levels, society as a whole must: • Adhere to conventional mitigation practices (ie, produce less CO ₂ ), and • Advance negative emission technologies (ie, capture CO ₂ ). Skills and Techniques Members   of   my   group   will   become   proficient   in   a   variety   of   techniques,   for   example:   (i)   organic/inorganic synthesis   (including   glove-box,   Schlenk,   and   high-vacuum   techniques),   (ii)   multi-nuclear   and   VT-NMR,   IR, and   UV-vis   spectroscopy,   (iii)   electrochemistry,   (iv)   powder   and   single   crystal   X-ray   diffraction,   and   (v) analysis   of   kinetics   data   &   products.   Other   techniques   such   as   EPR   spectroscopy,   SQUID   magnetometry, surface characterization, and DFT calculations may also be utilized depending on the project.

Regarding   the   latter   point,   at   present   CO ₂    can   be captured    with    amines    or    other    capturing    agents before   then   being   sequestered   or   recycled.   In   Carbon Capture     and     Sequestration      (CCS),     the     CO ₂      is released    and    stored    in    underground    reserves.    In Carbon   Capture   and   Recycling   (CCR),   the   CO ₂    is released        then        recycled        using        established heterogenous   technologies   to   convert   it   to   fuels/fuel precursors.   Both   approaches   necessitate   the   release of   CO ₂ ,   which   can   be   energy-intensive   and   may   limit the re-use of the capturing agent.

We propose to bi-pass the CO₂ release step in recycling, and are studying/devloping catalysts that directly take the captured CO₂  to fuels/fuel precursors.

The   recycling   of   CO ₂    entails   the   addition   of   proton   and   electron   equivalents   to   CO ₂ ,   which   can   give   a   variety of   products   that   are   pertinent   to   the   energy   landscape.   For   instance,   addition   of   2H ⁺ /2 e ^-    can   give   either   CO or   formic   acid.   CO   can   then   be   converted   to   alkanes   (or   liquid   fuels)   via   established   Fischer-Tropsch technologies.   Formic   acid   is   being   developed   as   a   hydrogen   storage   medium,   allowing   H ₂    to   safely   be   used as   a   fuel. Addition   of   6H ⁺ /6 e ^-   gives   MeOH,   which   itself   be   used   as   a   fuel/fuel   additive,   or   further   processed to   fuels.   Thus,   there   is   a   need   to   develop   catalysts   that   can   selectively   convert   CO ₂    to   these   value-added products, whilst operating with minimal energy input (over-potential).

As part of our studies, we thus aim to develop an understanding of how to deliver proton and electron equivalents to substrates at the M centers to efficiently and selectively facilitate these complex transformations of interest.

To   achieve   these   goals,   we   are   taking   a   multi-prongued   aproach   that   combines   ideas from catalysis, chemical engineering, inorganic and organic chemistry: • Testing   and   developing   new   capturing   agents,   with   an   emphasis   on   if   the   CO ₂ -adducts (captured      CO ₂ )      can      serve      as      substrates      for      known      homogeneous      CO ₂   hydrogenation/reduction catalysts. • Developing new ligand scaffolds/homogeneous catalysts that operate more efficiently. • Determining   the   thermodynamic   properties   of   known   homogeneous   catalysts/proposed catalysts,   such   that   next   generation   catalysts   can   be   developed   that   outperform   current catalysts   in   terms   of   rates,   cost   (replacing   precious   metals   with   earth-abundant   metals), and over-potential at which they operate. • Merging thermal homogeneous catalysis with electrocatalytic systems.