Our Research
Our research focuses on overcoming the challenges associated with renewable energy storage and transport.
Renewable-Driven Systems for Small Molecules Activation
As the cost of renewably derived (e.g., solar and wind) electricity continues to decrease given the rapid progress in technology and economies of scale, there is a growing interest in fuels and chemicals electrosynthesis in a clean, sustainable, and distributed manner. This approach can provide an alternative pathway to the traditional fossil fuel-driven processes as well as the storage of surplus renewable energy in the form of fuel at times of excess supply in the grid. The stored energy in the form of liquid fuel can be transported and delivered to end-users for various power, agriculture, and transportation applications (Figure 2). Transitioning from a carbon-based economy to a carbon-free economy must consider the environmental and social impacts caused by the production and consumption of these new fuels and chemicals.
Electrification of fuels and chemicals on a large scale requires an effective electrocatalyst and electrochemical reactors that generate fuel/chemicals with a high yield and efficiency. The scientific thrusts of our research group are built upon 1) materials chemistry for the synthesis of active, selective, and durable electrocatalysts and photocatalysts, 2) (photo) electrochemistry and novel cell design to study the redox processes in the (photo) electrochemical energy conversion systems, and 3) operando spectroscopy and microscopy techniques to study active sites and reaction mechanisms, leading to the rational design of more efficient (photo) electrocatalysts for value-added chemicals production. We also analyze the cost, energy, and carbon intensity of our various proposed renewable pathways for chemical and fuel syntheses.
We aim to combine catalyst materials discovery, electrochemistry, advanced spectroscopy and microscopy, and detailed TEA and LCA to develop next-generation electrolyzers for distributed chemical production.