Bioinspired Electrocatalysts for Energy Storage and Production Reactions.
EMSL Project ID
44681
Abstract
Electrocatalysts can convert electrical energy into chemical bonds in fuels, such as H2. In the reverse reaction, electrocatalysts can use the fuel to generate electrical energy on demand. This General EMSL research proposal is in support of three DOE Basic Energy Sciences research programs that focus on developing electrocatalysts for energy storage and production reactions using a wide variety of small molecule substrates. Reactions of interest include the production and oxidation of hydrogen, reduction of oxygen and nitrogen, alcohol oxidation and CO2 reduction. These reactions require the movement of multiple protons and electrons during catalysis. The catalyst designs have incorporated pendent amines as proton relays to facilitate proton movement during catalysis. The EMSL resources of High Field NMR and EPR, CD, mass spectroscopies and computational studies will provide unique insight into the structures, dynamics and mechanisms involved in the proton shuttling of these systems, which are crucial studies to guide the design of more efficient catalysts. The three research programs are the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Energy Frontier Research Center entitled "Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis" created in 2009 (Bullock), the DOE Basic Energy Sciences "Modular Energy-Based Approach to Molecular Catalyst Design" (DuBois), and the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Early Career Research Program "Catalyst Biomimics: A novel approach to catalyst design" (Shaw).
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2011-10-14
End Date
2012-10-14
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Structural characterization of the model amphipathic peptide Ac-LKKLLKLLKKLLKL-NH2 in aqueous solution and with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol
Buchko GW, A Jain, ML Reback, and WJ Shaw. 2013. "Structural characterization of the model amphipathic peptide Ac-LKKLLKLLKKLLKL-NH2 in aqueous solution and with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol." Canadian Journal of Chemistry 91(6):406-413. doi:10.1139/cjc-2012-0429