The transition away from fossil fuel combustion for energy generation requires increasing our utilization of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. However, the intermittent nature of these energy sources poses a significant problem for power supply reliability and electrical grid stability. To overcome these issues, energy generated from renewable sources may be stored in the form of chemical fuels, which can then be transported and used on-demand. Such a scheme would provide the basis for a sustainable energy economy: in the fuel-forming direction, abundant chemicals such as carbon dioxide and water are electrochemically reduced using renewable energy, and in the electricity-generating direction, the fuels are electrochemically oxidized in fuel cells which have higher theoretical efficiencies compared to combustion engines.<br/>Liquid carbon fuels such as formic acid and methanol are especially attractive fuel targets due to their high volumetric energy densities, ease of handling, and established storage and transportation infrastructure. Additionally, both formic acid and methanol can be produced from carbon dioxide. We are developing molecular transition metal complexes with reactive hydride ligands as key catalytic species to facilitate the necessary multiple proton and electron transfers for the electrochemical interconversion of carbon dioxide, formic acid, and methanol. By using the hydricity of metal hydride complexes, we are able to establish reactivity trends to guide the further design and optimization of these systems.

Development of molecular electrocatalysts for energy-related transformations

2019 Fall National Meeting

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