This $538,791 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports research at the University of Colorado to develop new electrocatalytic processes for converting bio-derived carboxylic acids into alcohols, specifically targeting the synthesis of 1,2-propanediol (propylene glycol) from bio-based lactic acid. The project aims to harness "cooperative acidity and hydricity" - the simultaneous activation of protons and hydrides - to...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $200,000 Project Grant under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to the Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. The award will fund research to characterize the nanoscale interactions between biomass-derived carboxylic acids and a platinum catalyst in aqueous reforming processes. This work aims to provide insights on how to design deactivation-resistant catalysts for converting biomass waste streams into renewable hydrogen...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded a $180,000 Project Grant titled "COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: NEW ANODIC CATALYSTS FOR WATER OXYGEN EVOLUTION USING HYBRID SOLID-STATE MATERIALS" to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This 3-year grant, effective August 1, 2023, will fund research to develop new carbon-supported catalytic materials for efficient electrochemical water oxidation. The goal...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $453,701 Project Grant to Clarkson University under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to conduct research on improving electrochemical processes for sustainable fuel and chemical production. The project aims to gain a deeper understanding of the complex chemistry occurring at the interface between electrocatalysts and liquid or polymer electrolytes. Key objectives include: 1) quantifying how solvent, ion, and surface effects influence...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry awarded a $375,000 project grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program to support a collaborative research effort between the University of Michigan and the University of Colorado Boulder. The grant, awarded from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027, aims to study the role of surface-bound ligands on metal catalysts in the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide, an important industrial chemical. The research team,...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $250,000 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to the Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines to develop and demonstrate a new process for producing sustainable liquid fuels from CO2. The project aims to use renewable electricity to power a catalytic reactor that can rapidly heat and cool CO2 and water, selectively converting them into hydrocarbon fuels. Key objectives include generating fundamental...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $528,664 Project Grant to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) through the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to conduct fundamental research on the thermodynamics and reaction-transport kinetics of copper-based catalysts for electrochemical transformation of carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and chemicals. The 5-year research project aims to develop a novel reaction-transport model for CO2 electrocatalysis that can enable the rational...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded a $381,584 Project Grant to the University of Houston System for the development of a "Structured Catalytic Membrane Reactor for Sustainable Hydrogen Production." The 3-year research project aims to address two key technical barriers for this technology: (1) synthesizing a hydrogen transport membrane that meets flux, selectivity, and durability targets; and (2)...
This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry, totaling $499,660, will support research into elucidating the electron transfer pathways involved in photo-catalytic hydrogen generation using semiconductor nanocrystals and hydrogenase enzymes. Principal Investigator Professor Gordana Dukovic of the University of Colorado Boulder will examine how properties of quantum dot nanocrystals, such as composition, diameter, and surface chemistry, impact binding with...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $535,830 Project Grant under its Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program to Professor Charles Musgrave and his research team at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The goal of this 3-year grant, with a period of performance from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027, is to accelerate the discovery and design of novel electrocatalysts for carbon-free fertilizer synthesis using renewable energy. The researchers will leverage...