Electrons as a Sustainable Reactant
One of the challenges with electricity, especially for intermittent renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.), is a lack of efficient and cost-effective methods to convert the electricity to useful or storable products. Our goal in the Singh Lab is to develop processes to store electricity, produce useful products such as transportation fuels or industrially-needed chemicals, and clean up waste streams varying from agricultural to low level nuclear waste. To achieve this goal, our work includes experimental catalysis, electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis, focusing on understanding how to drive reactions efficiently and selectively. To address this goal, we develop new electrocatalyst materials, find links between heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis, and use in situ spectroscopy of catalysts/electrocatalysts under operating conditions to better understand surface chemical reactions. We will also look at ways to design the overall process so that it can be more cost-effective, and to learn how design of new catalysts can impact these processes.
