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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers for long-duration energy storage

Liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems are an excellent alternative to pressurized gas and liquid hydrogen storage technologies due to their high volumetric storage capacities and straightforward adaptation to existing infrastructure. Here, we investigate various molecular and heterogenized Ru, Mn, and Fe catalysts for the reversible (de)hydrogenation of polyols. Mn catalysts, Mn-MACHO(Ph) (1) and Mn-MACHO(iPr)BH 4 (2-BH 4 ) were found to maintain catalytic activity for hydrogen production comparable to the Ru analogs, with greater than 98% conversion of 1,4 butanediol and quantitative hydrogen production. Furthermore, to assess the viability of utilizing heterogenized molecular catalysts for 1,4 butanediol (de)hydrogenation, molecular catalysts, Mn-MACHO(Ph), Ru-MACHO(Ph), and Ru-9, were polymerized to form Mn-MACHO-Poly, Ru-MACHO-Poly, and Ru-9-Poly respectively. These catalysts were then used to assess (de)hydrogenation of polyols, ethylene glycol and 1,4 butanediol. These studies reveal that Ru-MACHO-Poly is an efficient dehydrogenation catalyst with 99% conversion and a hydrogen percent yield of 96%. In addition, Ru-MACHO-Poly is a competent hydrogenation catalyst with approximately 98% conversion back to 1,4 butanediol based on quantitative NMR measurements. Overall, the data suggest these molecular and heterogenized catalysts have potential for practical use in polyalcohol-based LOHC systems.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2021

2D Covalent Organic Frameworks with an Incorporated Manganese Complex for Light Driven Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as a novel class of crystalline porous photocatalytic materials due to their unique properties such as large surface area, tunable porosity, and rigid structure. Here in this work, we report the direct incorporation of a manganese CO 2 molecular catalyst (MC) into COFs (Mn-TTA-COF) and the evaluation of its capability as photocatalyst for visible light driven CO 2 reduction to form CO. We found that the photocatalytic activity of Mn-TTA-COF is quite low, which mainly results from the elimination of the CO ligand in the Mn MC upon light illumination, rendering its short duration in the catalytic reaction. While this is a central concern for the further use Mn-TTA-COF as a CO 2 reduction catalyst, here we found that the stability and efficiency of Mn MC is largely enhanced after being incorporated into COFs with respect to its homogeneous version, suggesting the capability of COFs as heterogeneous platform to incorporate MC and improve the catalytic performance of MC. Moreover, transient absorption spectroscopic studies show that the intramolecular charge transfer lifetime of the Mn-incorporated COF is longer than that in the parent COF, which suggests that charge separation (CS) may occur from the parent COF to the Mn moiety. These results together suggest that COFs may show promise as a platform for creating next-generation photocatalysts with a built-in photosensitizer and MC, which can facilitate CS and enhance the stability and efficiency of the incorporated MC.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Mechanistic insights into metal, nitrogen doped carbon catalysts for oxygen reduction: progress in computational modeling

We report metal and nitrogen doped carbon materials (denoted as M–N–C) synthesized through high-temperature pyrolysis have been found to exhibit activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) approaching that of Pt and electrochemical stability higher than previous MN 4 -containing macrocyclic molecular catalysts. Tremendous efforts have thus been devoted to the advancement of M–N–C catalysts as an economical alternative to Pt-based catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathodes with a focus on simultaneously improving activity and stability. To this end, novel computational modeling techniques have been developed and applied to acquire knowledge crucial for accelerating the pace of M–N–C catalyst development. In this review, recent progress in computational method development, as well as the predictions of chemical structure of active sites, reaction pathways, ORR kinetics, and catalyst stability in electrochemical environments, are critically surveyed. Moreover, the crucial role of computational modeling to elucidate the functional mechanism of M–N–C catalysts for ORR in acid media and enable rational design of M–N–C catalysts is discussed with a visionary outlook for the field.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Direct Characterization of Atomically Dispersed Catalysts: Nitrogen-Coordinated Ni Sites in Carbon-Based Materials for CO 2 Electroreduction

Metal, nitrogen-doped carbon materials have attracted interest as heterogenous catalysts that contain MN x active sites that are analogous to molecular catalysts. Of particular interest is Ni,N-doped carbon, a catalyst that is active for the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 to CO. Critical to the understanding of these materials is proof of single atomic sites and characterization of the environment surrounding the metal atom; however, directly probing this coordination remains challenging. This challenge is addressed in this study by combining scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), single atom electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Through STEM imaging, atomic dispersion of Ni in the carbon framework is confirmed and image analyses are utilized to give semiquantitative estimates of neighbor distance distributions and site densities of Ni atoms. Atomic resolution EELS demonstrates that N and Ni are colocated at the single Ni atom sites suggesting Ni–N coordination. ToF-SIMS reveals a distribution of NiN x C y - fragments that reflect the Ni–N bonding environments within Ni,N-doped carbon. The fragmentation from Ni,N-doped carbon is similar to Ni phthalocyanine, suggesting the existence of heterogenized, molecular-like NiN 4 active sites which motivates future studies that leverage insight from molecular catalysis design to develop next-generation heterogeneous catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Molecular structure and catalytic promotional effect of Mn on supported Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalysts for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction

The structure and promotional effect of Mn in supported Mn-Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction has been debated for a longtime in the literature. In the current investigation, with the aid of multiple in-situ characterization studies, we show that the freshly calcined supported 1.2Mn-5Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalyst possesses crystalline Na 2 WO 4 , Mn 2 O 3 and SiO 2 (cristobalite phase) along with surface MnO x and Na-WO x sites at low temperature and oxidizing environments. Under the OCM reaction environment (T>800°C), the crystalline Na 2 WO 4 phase melts and Mn 2 O 3 phase reduces. In contrast, the surface MnO x and Na-WO x sites exhibit excellent thermal and chemical stability. Exposure of the 1.2Mn-5Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalyst to the OCM reaction environment redisperses the molten Na 2 WO 4 phase on the SiO 2 support to form new surface WO x sites. Interestingly, the stable MnO x species interacts with both molten Na 2 WO 4 phase and surface Na-WO x sites during OCM reaction. Controlled transient kinetic experiments in TAP and detailed steady state OCM fixed-bed reaction studies reveal the role and promotional effect of Mn in the 1.2Mn-5Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalyst. The W-oxides (both molten Na 2 WO 4 and surface Na-WO x sites) are the active sites for the catalytic OCM reaction and the MnO x species only function as promoters. The promotion of MnO x strongly depends on the gas phase O 2 partial pressure and the MnO x species act as mediators for oxygen exchange between the gas phase molecular O 2 and catalyst lattice oxygen. In conclusion, the temperature dependent MnO x promotion reveals that the MnO x species selectively promote the molten Na 2 WO 4 phase at lower reaction temperature and the surface Na-WO x sites at higher temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cambered Bipyridyl Ligand with Extended Aryl System Enables Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide and Bicarbonate by Mn(bpy)(CO) 3 Br-type Catalyst Immobilized on Carbon Nanotubes

Heterogeneous materials containing molecular catalytic sites show promise for electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to energy-enriched carbon products. Interactions between the catalyst and the heterogeneous support increasingly are recognized as important in governing product selectivity and rate. Recent work on Mn(R-bpy)(CO) 3 Br type catalysts immobilized on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) demonstrated control of electrocatalytic behavior with steric modification of the molecular catalyst. Phenyl groups installed in the 4,4' positions of the bipyridine ligand (ph-bpy) maximized performance through π–π interactions with the MWCNT support. Herein we report the outcome of extending the ligand π system with Mn(nap-bpy)(CO) 3 Br (nap-bpy = 4,4'-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine) and Mn(pyr-bpy)(CO) 3 Br (pyr-bpy = 4,4'-di(pyren-1-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine) immobilized on MWCNT. We demonstrate exceptional electrocatalysis with Mn(nap-bpy)(CO) 3 Br/MWCNT (FE CO > 92%; J CO = 16.5 mA/cm 2 ) and find that this catalyst electrochemically reduces bicarbonate in the absence of deliberately added CO 2 at a remarkable overall selectivity of >80% for carbon products (FE HCOO – = 52% and FE CO = 29%). We show diminishing returns to simply adding aromatic character to the bipyridyl ligand with Mn(pyr-bpy)(CO) 3 Br/MWCNT and observe a unique cambering of the Mn(nap-bpy)(CO) 3 Br bipyridyl ligand that we believe enables selective catalysis. Mechanistic studies were carried out on Mn(nap-bpy)(CO) 3 Br/MWCNT using a novel thin-film infrared spectroelectrochemical (IR-SEC) technique. These experiments observe the immobilized Mn(nap-bpy)(CO) 3 Br undergo single electron reduction to a Mn-centered radical that binds CO 2 in a reduction-coupled process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Synergistic catalysis by Mn promoted ceria for molecular oxygen assisted epoxidation

Mesoporous manganese doped cerium oxide catalysts were prepared by an inverse micelle method with different manganese loadings. These materials exhibited superior activity for epoxidation of alkenes with molecular oxygen. Highest active 10MnCe material showed an activity of 80 % conversion and >99 % selectivity for cyclooctene epoxidation. The fluorite crystal structure which facilitates the high oxygen mobility, low temperature reducibility, homogeneous distribution of manganese on ceria, nanoparticle nature, higher number of oxygen vacancies, low valent states of manganese and cerium, and the ability to generate reactive oxygen species of the manganese doped cerium oxide could be correlated to the high catalytic activity. The reaction followed first order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.31 h –1 at 100 °C, and the activation energy turned out to be 10.5 kJ/mol. In conclusion, the mechanistic study revealed that the reaction proceeds via a unique mechanism which involves in situ generated superoxide and singlet oxygen species..

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Syngas Production at Si Hybrid Photoelectrodes Modified with Re(I) and Mn(I) Tricarbonyl Phenanthroline Complexes Containing Reactive Aryl Azide Groups

We installed molecular CO 2 reduction (CO 2 R) catalysts directly onto Si (photo)electrodes. The highly reactive M(5-azido-1,10-phenanthroline)(CO) 3 X (where M = Mn or Re, X = Br or Cl) complexes readily bubbled when dissolved in polar organic solvents, in both the presence and absence of an ultraviolet light source. When placed on hydrogen-terminated Si (H-Si) and native silicon oxide (SiOx), similar amounts of the complex were attached to the surface under illumination (367 nm, 50–200 mW/cm 2 ) or in the dark. Surprisingly, these films revealed submonolayer coverages instead of the multilayered structures we expected. DFT analyses support monolayer formation, showing that the triplet-state nitrene of the complex is more energetically favorable than the singlet state. Using controlled-potential electrolysis experiments, we showed that Re- and Mn-containing films on pSi photoelectrodes generated small amounts of CO when exposed to 1 atm of CO 2 and 1 sun illumination. These amounts of CO were an order of magnitude greater than control surfaces, producing 5.59 × 10 –7 mol CO/h for Re(az-phen) and 7.83 × 10 –7 mol CO/h for Mn(az-phen) films. Much of the charge passed at the pSi electrodes was consumed by the competing hydrogen evolution reaction, which we attribute to the low molecular coverage and the presence of native oxide on the electrode surface after attachment. Finally, this work demonstrates the feasibility of reacting azide-containing ligands with Si surfaces. Still, it highlights the need for alternative ligand structures and reaction conditions to form multilayer films.

azides↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intercalative Redox Tuning for Cu/Li x Mn 2 O 4 -Catalyzed Oxidative Alkyne Coupling

Modulation of heterogeneous catalyst structure is ubiquitous within efforts to improve catalytic activity and selectivity at the molecular level. Herein, manganese oxide (MnO 2 ) is employed as a continuously tunable catalyst support through increasing extent of lithium intercalation and reduced surface potential. Oxidative grafting of an organocopper complex onto various lithium manganese oxides (Li x Mn 2 O 4 , x = 0-2.1) produced divalent and monovalent copper species on the partially reduced (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.2) and fully reduced (x = 2.1) surfaces, respectively, as determined by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis. In this study, the resultant materials are catalytically active for the oxidative coupling of terminal alkynes, with steady-state reaction rate data of oxidative propyne dimerization (200 °C, 0.6-2.4 kPa propyne, 2.4-9.9 kPa O 2 ) indicating that complete support lithiation (Li 2.1 Mn 2 O 4 ) provides increased catalytic performance and renders reoxidation steps less kinetically demanding compared to the unreduced parent material. Enacting a dual site (Cu and MnO x ) kinetic model can account for dimerization rates measured over Cu/Li 2.1 Mn 2 O 4 under various reactant concentrations, copper loadings, and surface coverages, providing supporting evidence for the synergistic role of the metal and support in facilitating the coupling reaction. Overall, results presented here provide an extension for general strategies of systematically controlling catalytic structure and function through lithium reduction of bulk oxides and subsequent electronic modulation of the metals supported thereon.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to formate using immobilized molecular manganese catalysts on oxidized porous silicon

The reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to formate using molecular catalysts immobilized on high surface area porous silicon is described. Manganese complexes of the type ( R bpy)Mn(CO) 3 Br (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) were prepared with silatrane groups on the bpy ligand for attachment to oxide-coated porous silicon (SiO x -porSi). SiO x -porSi wafers were formed by heating hydrogen-terminated p-type porous silicon wafers under air, and the manganese complexes were immobilized on SiO x -porSi by heating at 80°C. The resulting hybrid photoelectrodes are photoelectrocatalysts for CO 2 reduction in acetonitrile containing 2.0 M triethylamine and 2.0 M isopropanol, yielding formate with high selectivity (>96%) and current density (∼0.6 mA/cm 2 ), excellent reproducibility, and a photovoltage of 280 mV at −1.75 V (versus ferrocenium/ferrocene) under 1 sun illumination. Here, the applied potential is close to the equilibrium potential for CO 2 reduction to formate. This work presents rare examples of immobilized molecular catalysts for CO 2 reduction to formate and the first on semiconducting silicon.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Structural trends in the dehydrogenation selectivity of palladium alloys

Alloying is well-known to improve the dehydrogenation selectivity of pure metals, but there remains considerable debate about the structural and electronic features of alloy surfaces that give rise to this behavior. To provide molecular-level insights into these effects, a series of Pd intermetallic alloy catalysts with Zn, Ga, In, Fe and Mn promoter elements was synthesized, and the structures were determined using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD). The alloys all showed propane dehydrogenation turnover rates 5–8 times higher than monometallic Pd and selectivity to propylene of over 90%. Moreover, among the synthesized alloys, Pd 3 M alloy structures were less olefin selective than PdM alloys which were, in turn, almost 100% selective to propylene. This selectivity improvement was interpreted by changes in the DFT-calculated binding energies and activation energies for C–C and C–H bond activation, which are ultimately influenced by perturbation of the most stable adsorption site and changes to the d-band density of states. Furthermore, transition state analysis showed that the C–C bond breaking reactions require 4-fold ensemble sites, which are suggested to be required for non-selective, alkane hydrogenolysis reactions. These sites, which are not present on alloys with PdM structures, could be formed in the Pd 3 M alloy through substitution of one M atom with Pd, and this effect is suggested to be partially responsible for their slightly lower selectivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-throughput dataset of impurity adsorption on common catalysts in biomass upgrading applications

Abstract An extensive dataset consisting of adsorption energies of pernicious impurities present in biomass upgrading processes on common catalysts and support materials has been generated. This work aims to inform catalyst and process development for the conversion of biomass-derived feedstocks to fuels and chemicals. A high-throughput workflow was developed to execute density functional theory calculations for a diverse set of atomic (Al, B, Ca, Cl, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, P, S, Si, Zn) and molecular (COS, H 2 S, HCl, HCN, K 2 O, KCl, NH 3 ) species on 35 unique surfaces for transition-metal (Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru) and metal-oxide (Al 2 O 3 , MgO, anatase-TiO 2 , rutile-TiO 2 , ZnO, ZrO 2 ) catalysts and supports. Approximately 3,000 unique adsorption geometries and corresponding adsorption energies were obtained.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Structure of the D1-Val185Asn mutated photosystem II complex with slow O–O bond formation reveals changes in the Cl1 water channel

During photosynthesis, the photosystem II (PSII) enzyme catalyzes the light-driven oxidation of water, fueling life on Earth by storing light energy and releasing O 2 as a byproduct. Determining the molecular mechanism for this water oxidation reaction has been of significant interest for the development of synthetic catalysts, but many details remain elusive. One of the open questions is how protons are strategically removed from the active site, a Mn 4 CaO 5 cluster called the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), during the reaction cycle via conserved water channels, and how proton transfer contributes to O–O bond formation energetics. Site-directed mutagenesis studies have investigated the role of conserved amino acid side chains in facilitating proton transfer. One of the most influential mutations is the Val185Asn substitution on the D1 subunit, which substantially slows O 2 release kinetics without abolishing catalytic activity. Forming a molecular understanding of how this mutation affects the active site will provide insight into the water oxidation reaction mechanism. Here, we investigated the structural basis of the Val185Asn substitution by determining a 1.99 Å-resolution cryo-EM structure. We observed that Asn185 orients away from the OEC and donates a H-bond to Cl1, a conserved chloride ion. We furthermore observed an alternative D2-Glu312-facing conformation of the D2-Lys317 side chain in the Cl1 water channel, a conformation that is consistent with recent models for proton transfer. These changes also produce perturbations to the hydrogen-bonding network. Overall, these finding provide insight into proton transfer in the Cl1 channel and its effect on the water oxidation reaction mechanism.

cryo-EM↗
DOE OSTI2024

The role of manganese in CoMnO x catalysts for selective long-chain hydrocarbon production via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Cobalt is an efficient catalyst for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) of hydrocarbons from syngas (CO + H 2 ) with enhanced selectivity for long-chain hydrocarbons when promoted by Manganese. However, the molecular scale origin of the enhancement remains unclear. Here we present an experimental and theoretical study using model catalysts consisting of crystalline CoMnO x nanoparticles and thin films, where Co and Mn are mixed at the sub-nm scale. Employing TEM and in-situ X-ray spectroscopies (XRD, APXPS, and XAS), we determine the catalyst’s atomic structure, chemical state, reactive species, and their evolution under FTS conditions. We show the concentration of CH x , the key intermediates, increases rapidly on CoMnO x , while no increase occurs without Mn. DFT simulations reveal that basic O sites in CoMnO x bind hydrogen atoms resulting from H 2 dissociation on Co 0 sites, making them less available to react with CH x intermediates, thus hindering chain termination reactions, which promotes the formation of long-chain hydrocarbons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermodynamic Trends for Reduction of CO by Molecular Complexes

Selective reduction of CO 2 into fuels and chemical feedstocks is highly desirable to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Most molecular catalysts afford 2e – reduction products, such as CO or HCO 2 – , as opposed to more reduced products. Here we present an analysis of the thermodynamic limitations for reduction of the CO ligand in the form of a series of isostructural group 6 carbonyl complexes, Cp*M(CO) 3 (P(OMe) 3 ) + (M = Cr, Mo, and W). Additionally, the free energy for stepwise transfer of a hydride (H – ) and a proton (H + ) to the CO ligand, resulting in a hydroxycarbene (CHOH) complex, was measured by equilibration with H – /H + donors and acceptors with known hydricity or acidity. Together, these two reaction steps are equivalent to a net addition of H 2 across the CO ligand. A large and unfavorable free energy for H 2 addition (Δ G ° H2 ) was measured for all three complexes and decreases in the order Cr > Mo > W. The trend for these complexes is opposite to the trend previously reported for group 7 carbonyl complexes, for which Δ G ° H2 decreases moving up the group, Re > Mn. Computational analysis indicates the trends can be described in terms of electrostatic effects, where a low Δ G ° H2 is obtained in complexes that balance the atomic charges of the M–C≡O fragment of the complex. These findings can be used to design metal carbonyl complexes with a more energetically accessible H 2 addition, which will facilitate the development of molecular catalysts for reduction of CO.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Synthesis of End-Functionalized Poly(norbornenes) and Poly(ethylidene norbornenes) Using a Pd(II) Catalyst in Combination with Chain Transfer Agents

Synthesis of end-functionalized poly(norbornene)s (PNBs) and poly(ethylidenenorbornene)s (PENBs) were prepared using the palladium catalyst t Bu 3 PPdMeCl/NaBAr f in combination with chain transfer agents (CTAs) 4-penten-1-ol and 10-undecenal. These CTAs produce polymers end-capped with -OH and -CHO groups, respectively, in high yields with M n values in the range of 6K to 17K, depending on the molar ratio of the CTA: monomer. End-functionalized PNBs and PENBs with precisely controlled Mn values and very narrow molecular weight distributions were accessed by using 4-penten-1-ol and 10-undecenal as chain-terminating agents following living polymerizations in which monomer is completely consumed. The utility of the aldehyde-functionalized polymers is illustrated via coupling to a dye molecule and by synthesis of ambiphilic diblock copolymers, PNB-b-PEG and PENB-b-PEG.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Electronic and structural properties of single-crystal Jahn–Teller active Co 1+x Mn 2–x O 4 thin films

Recent investigations on spinel CoMn 2 O 4 have shown its potential for applications in water splitting and fuel cell technologies as it exhibits strong catalytic behavior through oxygen reduction reactivity. To further understand this material, we report for the first time the synthesis of single-crystalline Co 1+x Mn 2-x O 4 thin films using molecular beam epitaxy. By varying sample composition, we establish links between cation stoichiometry and material properties using in-situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Our results indicate that excess Co ions occupy interstitial tetrahedral sites up to a certain stoichiometry, then are substitutional for octahedrally-coordinated Mn beyond this threshold. Here, we compare these results with density functional theory models of stoichiometric CoMn 2 O 4 to understand how the Jahn-Teller distortion and hybridization in Mn-O bonds impact the ability to hole dope the material with excess Co. The findings provide important insights into CoMn 2 O 4 and related spinel oxides for future application as inexpensive oxygen reduction reaction catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Final Technical Report

The capture of CO2 and its simultaneously conversion to useful chemical fuels driven by solar energy represents one of the best solutions to resolve our growing energy and environmental concerns. The most critical challenge to this endeavor is the rational design of a photocatalytic architecture that can effectively couple a given photosensitizer (PS) with an appropriate catalyst, thereby enabling efficient photosensitization of a multi-electron reduction catalysis. This research program aims to address this challenge using an interdisciplinary approach that combines innovative material design and synthesis, fundamental mechanistic studies, and photocatalytic performance evaluation. The strategies include 1) constructing and investigating a novel class of 2D COF hybrid photocatalysts with an effective photoactive organic building block as PS and a precisely incorporated CO2 reduction molecular catalyst (MC); and 2) mechanistic origins of CO2 photoreduction using a set of complementary time-resolved and in situ spectroscopic techniques. The novelty of the proposed hybrid system lies in the unprecedented combination of the unique advantage of porous crystalline COF PS with the precise catalytic function of MC for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In the periods of the support (09/01/2019-12/31/2022), we have made research progress in four projects: 1) Exploring 2D COFs with incorporated Mn complex for light driven CO2 reduction; 2) The dependence of excited state and charge transfer dynamics on monomer structure of 2D COFs; and 3) Control over Charge Separation by Imine Structural Isomerization in Covalent Organic Frameworks with Implications on CO2 Photoreduction; and 4) The impact of monomer structure on the photoluminescence properties of COFs. We found that both monomer structure and linker chemistry can effectively impact the excited state dynamics, charge transfer properties, and photoluminescence quantum yields, the important properties that dictate their applications in photocatalysis. In addition, we found that the direction of imine linker determines charge transfer direction and thus controls the types of catalytic reactions (e.g. water oxidation or CO2 reduction reactions). The result from these fundamental studies provides important information for correlating the structure of the COF photocatalysts with their photophysical properties and catalytic functions, paving the way for their novel application in photocatalysis. We expect that our findings will contribute to addressing current shortcomings of semiconductor- and molecular-based photocatalytic systems that suffer from inefficient light harvesting and charge separation and poor adsorption and activation of reactants. In turn, this research will contribute towards the development of novel photocatalytic systems for CO2 reduction to generate renewable chemical fuels and simultaneously address the problem of mitigating climate change due to CO2 accumulation. In addition, the experimental approaches employed in this research can be easily transferred to other energy technologies and are expected to broadly impact fields involving photocatalysis, optoelectronic devices, and solar energy conversion. The proposed research has also been integrated with educational activities and serve as a basis to raise awareness around the critical issues of global energy production and consumption, and to develop the next generation of solar energy scientists.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗