Scientific Challenges
Hydrogen may serve as an ideal alternative to fossil carbon resources, being abundant and far more energy dense. Future applications may also include converting electric power to chemical energy through electrolysis. However, new catalysts (substances that increase the rate of a chemical reaction) are needed to facilitate those transformations. The central mission of the CD4DC is to discover and develop such catalysts to optimize the catalytic reactions involved.
CD4DC will target the development of three types of catalysts: (1) MOFs with components that provide a high degree of polarizability and softness for superior hydrogen transfer catalysis, (2) MOFs that enable the use of an external electric potential to facilitate catalytic transformations, and (3) MOFs that provide bio-inspired environments for highly selective chemical transformations. Project objectives will be achieved through interactive and iterative efforts of synergistic computational and experimental techniques that leverage our unique, multi-disciplinary team.