Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS) Student Seminar Series
Friday, May 15, 2026 | 12-1pm CT
Ryan Hall, 4003 | 2190 Campus Drive
Join the Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS) for the Student Seminar Series. Hear from graduate students and postdoctoral scholars during two presentations. This month's speakers are Andrew Weidner from the Seitz Group and Dylan Bardgett from the Haile Group.
About the Presentations
Speaker: Andrew Weidner
Title: Upgrading Ethylene Halohydrins with CO2 via Electrochemical Carboxylation
Abstract:
The decarbonization of the chemical industry and durable removal of atmospheric CO2 are necessary to slow anthropogenic climate change. We can leverage CO2 as a nontoxic, sustainable C1 feedstock to advance these objectives. Furthermore, organic electrosynthesis powered by abundant renewable energy can displace toxic, energy-intensive reducing agents with green electrons. One such reaction, electrochemical carboxylation (EC), fixes CO2 to organic substrates such as alkyl halides, olefins, epoxides, and halohydrins to produce carboxylic acid products. However, much of the EC literature focuses on so-called "activated" substrates (e.g., aromatic and allylic compounds) which are easier to electrochemically reduce due to more stable intermediates. Such a focus deprioritizes small molecule substrates which represent large fractions of the modern chemical production industry. This work presents fundamental investigation of EC of underexplored ethylene halohydrins (e.g., 2-bromoethanol) to upgraded products such as 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) in polar aprotic electrolytes.
We demonstrate that the EC product 3-HP is produced when applied potentials cathodic of CO2reduction (CO2R, <2 V vs. SHE) are applied and the halohydrin substrate is 2-bromoethanol or 2-iodoethanol. These results suggest both CO2 and halohydrin reduction intermediates participate in the EC reaction. Using rigorous product quantification, we systematically investigate how the applied potential and halohydrin halogen identity modulate the selectivity of EC vs. cyclic carbonate formation, CO2R, and substrate reduction without CO2 coupling. Furthermore, we examine the significance of surface- vs. solution-phase mechanistic steps by modulating the local reaction environment and electrolyte composition.
Speaker: Dylan Bardgett
Title: Electrochemical ammonia synthesis using plasma-induced excited state nitrogen with solid acid electrochemistry
Abstract:
Traditional electrochemical ammonia synthesis is heavily constrained by inactivity of the refractory N2 molecule. In this work, we use plasma-induced vibrational and electronic excitations to activate N2 for subsequent electrochemical reduction in a solid-state electrochemical reactor. Constant-potential amperometry experiments show a significant increase in ammonia synthesis rates and current densities through the cell when a 7.3 W nitrogen (9% N2/bal Ar) plasma jet is used in tandem with a -2 V reducing bias across a solid acid electrochemical cell. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments provide insight into the reaction mechanism, showing a N 1s peak on the Mo cathode surface only after exposure to plasma-excited N2 compared to unactivated N2. In all, this work provides insights and entry points into a new field of plasma-coupled electrochemical synthesis reactions.
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The mission of the Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS) is to promote interdisciplinary research fundamental to the discovery, synthesis, and understanding of catalysts and catalytic reactions essential to modern society. As a part of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy, CCSS applies fundamental advances in catalysis science towards applications in alternative fuels, abatement of harmful emissions, resource recovery concepts, new processing routes, and many other strategies towards making chemicals more sustainable.
Jim Puricelli
Email