Question & Answer session: Better Haber-Bosch

The limited efficiency with which renewable fuels and feedstocks are synthesized from electrical sources at present is determined by the sluggish electroreduction of CO2 (CO2RR) and water oxidation reaction (WOR). Herein, we reported a strategy to create high active sites for CO2RR in tin catalysts by incorporating copper and non-metal sulfur in an intimately integrated fashion (1, 2). We also developed a room-temperature synthesis to produce gelled FeCoW and NiCoFeP oxy-hydroxide materials with high WOR activity (3, 4). In situ X-ray absorption and computational studies, taken together, reveal that the enhanced energetics for CO2RR and WOR result from the ready promotion of favorable local coordination environments and electronic structures.

1. Zheng X L, De Luna P, Sargent E H, et al. Sulfur-Modulated Tin Sites Enable Highly Selective Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Formate, Joule, 2017, 1, 794-805.
2. Zheng X, Tang J, Ji Y, Wang J, Liu B, Steinrück H, Lim, K, Li Y, Toney M, Chan K, Cui Y, Theory-guided discovery of electrocatalysts with high formate selectivity at low overpotentials. Nature Catalysis, in revision.
3. Zhang B, Zheng X, Voznyy O, Sargent E H, et al. Homogeneously dispersed multimetal oxygen-evolving catalysts. Science, 2016, 352(6283): 333-337.
4. Zheng X L, Zhang B, Sargent E H, et al. Theory-driven design of high-valence metal sites for water oxidation confirmed using in situ soft X-ray absorption. Nature Chemistry, 2018, 10, 149-154.

Teaching Interests:

My goal of teaching will be to create a classroom where students find eager, enthusiasm, confidence and patience to actively participate in the challenging yet rewarding coursework. I would be very happy to develop the following courses. 1) X-ray Techniques for Chemistry and Materials Science. The unique properties of synchrotron radiation, including continuous spectrum, high flux and brightness, and high coherence, provide unprecedented experimental tools to study materials science, bioscience, geoscience, physical and chemical sciences, among many others. The goal of the course is to get students familiar with the advanced X-ray techniques for their research in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, etc. 2) Science & Policy of Materials Sustainability. The course, designed as a combined graduate and undergraduate class, provides important concepts for the critical relationships between materials, environment, energy and sustainability.