Postdoctoral Fellowship: MPS-Ascend: The Effects of Electronic Stucture and Coordination Enviornment on the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in Single-Atom Catalysts

Mathew Ryan Espinosa is awarded an NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (NSF MPS-Ascend) to conduct a program of research and activities related to broaden participation by groups underrepresented in STEM. This fellowship to Dr. Ezpinosa supports the research project entitled “MPS-Ascend: The Effects of Electronic Structure and Coordination Environment on the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in Single-Atom Catalysts” under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist.

The host institution for the fellowship is California Institute of Technology at Pasadena, CA, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Theodor Agapie.

This proposal intends to investigate the fundamental factors influencing the selectivity and activity of heterogeneous single-atom catalysts in electrochemical CO2 reduction. The proposal will utilize electronically conjugated multi-metallic phenanthroline macrocyclic catalysts to understand the influence of the extended electronic structure of single-atom catalysts on the catalytic activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction to liquid products and fuels.

The project will synthesize novel homogeneous mono- and multi-metallic systems where electronic structure and secondary coordination environment will be systematically varied and compared to the catalytic activity and selectivity. Successful implementation of this work may allow for developing single-atom catalysts involving electronically conjugated metal centers on a conducting surface for CO2 reduction to renewable commodity chemicals and fuels.

The conversion of captured anthropogenic CO2 using electrochemical reduction would enable the production of renewable, carbon-neutral fuels and chemical feedstocks, displacing current unsustainable petrochemical sources.

The PI intends to increase broadening participation of underrepresented groups in science by mentoring and providing opportunities to the next generation of scientists and participating in scientific outreach activities, scientific communications, and community service to inspire and inform local communities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.