Title:     Hybrid Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Approach for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂ to Methanol in Water

Time:     2024-06-24 15:00

Lecturer:  Prof. CARLO NERVI

  University of Torino, Italy

Venue:    Conference Room 2, Building 3, Energy Materials Building, Xiang 'an Campus

Abstract：

By using the hybrid homogeneous/heterogeneous approach, which consists in the functionalization of electrode surface by bonding covalently an intact organometallic catalyst, we discovered an efficient path to reduce carbon dioxide to methanol by electrochemical reaction. Turn Over Number and Faradaic Efficiency reached the values of 24600 and 65%, respectively. DFT calculations are employed to investigate the mechanism of 6 proton coupled electron transfer that convert CO₂ to methanol by the molecular catalyst.

Bio of Prof. CARLO NERVI：

Prof. Nervi started his academic career in 1995 at the Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Italy, where is now associate professor. He was recently Visiting Full Professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow (Russia). The research activity see 132 publications (h-index 38) and are focused on four main fields:

1. Inorganic electrochemistry, with particular attention to organometallic catalysts for CO₂ reduction;

2. DFT calculations for application in catalysis and ion mobility in Li-ion solid state batteries;

3. Crystal Structure Prediction of solid materials by genetic algorithm (USPEX code). Application to molecular crystals of pharmaceutical interest.