[Seminar] "Molecular Tools in Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction" by Dr. Orestes Rivada-Wheelaghan

Speaker:

Dr. Orestes Rivada-Wheelaghan, Ramón y Cajal Fellow, Instituto the Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ) at Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)

Title:

Molecular Tools in Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction.

Abstract:

Molecular electrocatalysts have received a renewed interest due to their capabilities towards sustainable and energy–efficient redox chemical transformations, in particular, those involved in new strategies towards energy storage application. In this presentation, different new approaches towards Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction (eCO2RR) towards carbon‒based fuels transformation will be shown. First, the correlation of remote interactions between a molecular MnI-complex bearing a bioinspired ligand and different alkali cations with redox potential tuning, including its impact towards eCO2RR is shown.Next, the formation and characterization of a dinuclear cobalt complex that electrocatalytically reduces carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide in the presence of Brönsted acids will be discussed. Chemical, electrochemical and spectro-electrochemical studies indicate a paired redox behavior of the cobalt centers. Electrocatalytic studies revealed up to 94 % selectivity towards CO formation when 1.47 M trifluoroethanol were present, at –1.35 V vs Saturated Calomel Electrode in DMF (0.39 V overpotential).