I wrote this abstract the day after a scientific giant of our day, the great cosmologist Stephen Hawking, died.  To honor his memory, I will speak about potential technological advances in materials science, nanoscale optics, and electrochemistry that could allow us to respond to Dr. Hawking's clarion call: "It is time to explore other solar systems...humans need to leave Earth."  To do so probably represents - next to rendering fusion power commonplace - the greatest set of technological challenges humankind has ever faced.  Among them are ones from the domain of chemistry: we will need to create a virtuous chemical cycle, exploiting energy from sunlight and molecules in air, water, and carbon dioxide to synthesize fuels and chemicals needed to sustain life off planet Earth.  I will give examples from my own research - developing and applying quantum mechanics techniques to sustainable energy technologies - aimed at understanding and designing new materials and processes that will create that virtuous cycle needed by future generations.

Sustainable production of fuels and chemicals

256th National Meeting (2018)

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