Abstract

Electrocatalysis has the potential to revolutionize the production of chemicals and consumer goods in an environmentally sustainable manner, by replacing traditional fossil fuel based processes with energy-efficient technologies powered by renewable electricity. This approach also holds great promise in addressing global challenges related to the remediation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water pollutants. To be successful, electrocatalytic processes must employ nonprecious nontoxic materials, utilize aqueous environments, consume minimal energy, and effectively eliminate harmful chemicals. Achieving functional electrocatalytic processes necessitates a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms and the strategic design of nanomaterials with controlled properties. In our approach, we employ pulsed laser in liquids synthesis for the development of nanocatalysts with controlled surface chemistries, to facilitate a quantitative mechanistic understanding of electrocatalytic processes, particularly within the anode microenvironment. For example, laser-made earth-abundant mixed-metal nanocatalysts on high-surface-area carbon supports selectively electrooxidized toluene to benzyl alcohol with unprecedentedly high activity. For PFAS remediation, we achieved complete defluorination of perfluorooctane sulfonate and GenX in aqueous electrolytes with laser-made bimetallic nanocatalysts. My group’s overarching goal is advanced design and fabrication of nanocatalysts for the electrocatalytic generation of oxidants and reductants from water, predicated on a detailed atomistic understanding of mechanisms and nanomaterials, with the ultimate goal of driving forward scalable sustainable solutions for chemical manufacturing and water remediation.

Speaker Bio

Astrid M. Müller is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Rochester since 2018. Prof. Müller earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry for work on ultrafast reaction dynamics at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. Her postdoctoral work centered on developing a fundamental understanding of laser–matter interactions. Her independent research focuses on pulsed laser in liquids synthesis of mixed-metal nanomaterials with controlled structural and electronic properties. This uniquely positions Prof. Müller’s group to quantitatively understand how nanocatalysts and electrocatalytic mechanisms impact the performance of nanomaterials in sustainable energy, green chemistry, and aqueous PFAS destruction applications.