Title: CO2 Capture, Concentration, & Conversion
Bio:
Jenny Y. Yang is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She received her B.S. degree in Chemistry at UC Berkeley, where she worked with Prof. Jeffry R. Long, and her Ph.D. with Prof. Daniel G. Nocera at MIT. She was a postdoctoral associate at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with Dr. Daniel L. DuBois. She continued as a scientist at PNNL and then at the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis before starting as an Assistant Professor at UCI. Her research is focused on inorganic synthesis and electrochemical processes relevant catalysis and separations.
Abstract:
Electrochemically-driven processes can be used to capture, concentrate, and valorize CO2 with greater efficiency compared to thermal methods. Recent work on developing air-stable electrochemical CO2 capture using quinone redox carriers and the use of electrolyte engineering to tune molecular properties will be discussed. Additionally recent work on integrated CO2 capture and conversion systems will be presented. Addressing the rising levels of anthropogenic CO2 in our atmosphere is a major scientific challenge. I will discuss our work on capture, concentration and conversion of CO2 using electrochemical techniques. Specifically, I will discuss the conversion of concentrated CO2 to liquid fuels using transition metal electrocatalysts and thermodynamic considerations important for product selectivity. Additionally, I will discuss important parameters for air-stable electrochemical CO2 capture using quinone redox carriers and the use of electrolyte engineering to tune molecular properties. Finally, progress and directions in the Center for Closing the Carbon Cycle (4C) EFRC, which is focused on integrated CO2 capture and conversion, will be discussed.
Keywords: Electrochemistry, CO2 capture, CO2 utilization, Electrocatalysis
Host: Professor. Eszter Boros