CO2 Reduction with Organocatalsyts
Most catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide rely on metals and metal-hydride complexes. We are interested in finding new organic molecules or systems that can assist in the reduction of CO2 past the 2-electron products typical of metal catalysts.
Ligand-Centered Reactivity
We are interested in finding new modes of reactivity for transition metal catalysts. Typically, an open coordination site on a metal is needed to react with substrate. We are trying to find ligands that can act as the center for reactivity while the metal provides only a supporting/scaffold role.
Electrode Functionalization
Commercially viable strategies for CO2 reduction will likely need to rely on heterogenous catalysts, while homogeneous catalysts rule in the lab setting due to their synthetic tunability and amenability to mechanistic inquiry. We are looking at micelles as a way to capture and immobilize effective homogenous catalysts onto electrodes without a need to modify the catalyst.