(2hi) (Photo)Electrochemical Conversion for Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals, and Fertilizer

As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, I studied plasmon-enhanced electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to fuels and chemicals using nanostructured cathodes at the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis. Using a custom temperature-controlled photoelectrochemical cell, I reported the first instance of plasmonic promotion of electrochemical CO₂ reduction: illumination of the cathode selectively enhanced CO₂ reduction products while simultaneously suppressing undesired H₂ evolution. To further understand the plasmonic mechanisms responsible for the selectivity and efficiency changes, I used in situ ATR–SEIRAS (attenuated total reflectance–surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy) under both dark and illuminated conditions. I measured an increase in the strength of the symmetric CO₂ stretch of bicarbonate in the light, likely caused by the plasmonically enhanced local electric field, increasing the local pH and suppressing H₂ formation.

Postdoctoral Research: Recovering Ammonia from Wastewater: Towards Selective and Efficient Nitrate Reduction
Advisor: William A. Tarpeh, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University

As a TomKat Center Postdoctoral Fellow in Sustainable Energy, I investigate electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia. I use in situ ATR–SEIRAS to measure the transient, local pH and identify reaction intermediates to understand the mechanisms that influence nitrate reduction selectivity and efficiency. I also use in situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and resonant anomalous X‐ray reflectivity (RAXR) at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) to identify the ionic species in the electric double layer and how their concentration, orientation, and structure impacts nitrate reduction.

Future Research:
My proposed research program is united by the theme of converting putative wastes into valuable products through (photo)electrochemical conversion, using light and potential bias as driving forces. Unlike the traditional thermochemical processes to create fuels and chemicals, electrochemical conversion can occur in a wide range of temperatures and pressures (including ambient), can use solely renewable electricity, and is performed in modular reactors that permit flexible-scale operation. The potential impact is multifaceted: we can mitigate climate change by treating CO₂ as a feedstock rather than a waste; improve our energy independence by offsetting the use of fossil fuels for thermochemical processes and creating renewable fuels; and implement sustainable agricultural practices by recovering resources from wastewater. To make this vision a reality we must address the key challenges of electrochemical conversion: a) low selectivity, which requires costly separation; and b) low efficiency, which increases the operating costs from electricity.

My lab will conduct interdisciplinary research in electrochemistry, photonics, materials science, and chemical engineering. My future work will draw on my expertise gained through graduate and postdoctoral research, incorporating photoelectrochemical cell design, nanomaterial fabrication, in situ spectroscopic techniques, and ex situ product analysis. My lab will use both light and potential bias as driving forces in conversion processes such as (1) CO₂ reduction to fuels and chemicals, (2) recovery of ammonia from wastewater through nitrate reduction, and (3) ammonia production from air through N₂ reduction, addressing themes of clean energy, climate change, and sustainability.

Selected Publications:
1. Liu, M. J., Guo, J., Hoffman, A. S., Stenlid, J. H., Tang, M. T., Corson, E. R., Stone, K. H., Abild-Pedersen, F., Bare, S. R., Tarpeh, W. A. Catalytic Performance and Near-Surface X-ray Characterization of Titanium Hydride Electrodes for the Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction Reaction. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022.

2. Corson, E. R., Creel, E. B., Kostecki, R., Urban, J. J., and McCloskey, B. D. Effect of Pressure and Temperature on Carbon Dioxide Reduction at a Plasmonically Active Silver Cathode. Electrochim. Acta, 374, 137820, 2021.

3. Corson, E. R., Subramani, A., Cooper, J. K., Kostecki, R., Urban, J. J., and McCloskey, B. D. Reduction of Carbon Dioxide at a Plasmonically Active Copper–Silver Cathode. Chem. Commun., 56, 9970–9973, 2020.

4. Corson, E. R., Kas, R., Kostecki, R., Urban, J. J., Smith, W. A., McCloskey, B. D., and Kortlever, R. In Situ ATR–SEIRAS of Carbon Dioxide Reduction at a Plasmonic Silver Cathode. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 142 (27), 11750–11762, 2020.

5. Corson, E. R.*, Creel, E. B.*, Kostecki, R., McCloskey, B. D., and Urban, J. J. Important Considerations in Plasmon-Enhanced Electrochemical Conversion at Voltage Biased Electrodes. iScience, 23, 100911, 2020.

6. Corson, E. R., Creel, E. B., Kim, Y., Urban, J. J., Kostecki, R., and McCloskey, B. D. A Temperature-Controlled Photoelectrochemical Cell for Quantitative Product Analysis. Rev. Sci. Instrum., 89, 055112, 2018.

*Denotes equal contribution

Selected Awards:
TomKat Center Postdoctoral Fellowship in Sustainable Energy, 2021–2023
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2015–2020
NextProf Nexus Participant, University of Michigan, 2021
AIChE Women in Chemical Engineering Travel Award, 2020
Graduate Remote Instruction Innovation Fellows Program, UC Berkeley, 2020
Rising Star in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019
Next Generation Electrochemistry Fellow, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2019
Berkeley Summer Institute for Preparing Future Faculty Fellow, 2018
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley, 2017
Stryker Distinguished Service Award, 2010
Camras Full Tuition Scholarship, 2007–2011
Levenspiel Chemical Engineering Scholarship, 2007–2011

Teaching Interests:
My outlook on teaching is guided by many years of pedagogical training and practice. At UC Berkeley I earned my Certificate of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, served as a graduate student instructor (GSI) twice, and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award in 2017. I received a fellowship in the Graduate Remote Instruction Innovation Fellows Program where I developed a workshop for the CBE faculty on best practices in remote instruction and I updated the CBE graduate pedagogy course to include techniques for remote instruction. I am dedicated to excellence in teaching and will continue to seek opportunities throughout my academic career to expand my teaching skills.

My teaching philosophy is centered around backward design. I begin by setting the learning objectives for the course and then develop my course materials, teaching activities, and assessments in alignment with those goals. During class I use active learning to promote student engagement and learning through techniques based in retrieval and generation. I use frequent, low-stakes assessments and authentic assignments to measure students’ performance and provide timely feedback. I welcome and respect the students’ ideas and model this behavior openly to build a classroom and lab culture that embraces individuals of all backgrounds. I view the role of teacher and mentor as a fundamental part of being a professor and embrace the responsibility of preparing the next generation of engineers.

I am qualified and prepared to teach any core chemical engineering undergraduate- or graduate-level course. I am also prepared to develop an elective undergraduate- or graduate-level course on light-driven processes that would encompass the fundamentals of photoelectrochemistry and photocatalysis and explore energy and environmental applications.