Séminaire Prof. Clifford Kubiak

Le professeur Clifford Kubiak (University of California, San Diego), professeur invité à l'UFR de Chimie donnera un séminaire intitulé :

« Carbon dioxide reduction by rhenium and manganese bipyridyl complexes: Mechanistic insights and new strategies to lower overpotentials. »

Le Jeudi 6 mars à 11h , en 774 (Lavoisier)

 

Abstract :

Electrocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) are of interest in the production of solar fuels, and as a means of mitigating atmospheric CO2. Of the systems that electrocatalytically reduce CO2, the Re(bpy-R)(CO)3Cl family of compounds is one of the most robust and well-characterized systems known to date. Recent studies of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), stopped flow kinetics with infrared detection, and theoretical studies will be reviewed.  The high selectivity of these catalysts for the reduction of CO2 in the presence of weak acids will be discussed in light of these recent experimental and theoretical studies. XAS studies on the analogous Mn bipyridyl complexes give additional insights into the unusual electronic structures of the group 7 [M(bpy)(CO)3]- catalysts. The much more earth-abundant Mn catalysts are capable of reducing CO2 at ca. 400mV lower overpotentials than their Re counterparts. The lowering of overpotentials for CO2 electrocatalysts remains as the major challenge in this field.  Recent attempts to lower overpotentials through electrostatic, dielectric medium, artificial metalloprotein, and mechanism redirection strategies will be described.