Dr. Thomas F. Jaramillo, from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, will be offering a lecture titled “Developing Pathways for the Sustainable Production of Fuels and Chemicals”.
Date: April 21st, 2015
Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Place: INQU 004 – Amphitheater
Abstract:
This talk will describe recent efforts to develop new, sustainable pathways to the same kinds of fuels and chemicals that are conventionally derived from fossil resources. Technology in this area has tremendous potential to curb CO2 emissions and to provide clean energy for all. The talk will focus on two particular areas of sustainable technology development in this light: (1) Solar water-splitting for the direct, renewable production of H2, and (2) CO2 electrolysis to convert CO2 into carbon-based fuels and chemicals using renewable electricity as input.
In particular, this talk begin by describing research efforts to develop H2 evolution catalysts that are active, stable, and comprised of only earth-abundant elements.1-3 Next, we will describe recent efforts to integrate these catalysts onto semiconductor surfaces to provide corrosion protection as well as enhanced interfacial catalysis for PEC water-splitting.4The talk will then focus on electrocatalyst development for CO2 conversion to fuels and chemicals.5-7 Based on advanced methods that we have developed to identify and quantify reaction products, we characterize a wide range of catalyst surfaces for CO2 electrolysis and establish a framework for describing their catalytic activity and selectivity to hydrocarbons and alcohols.
Biosketch:
Thomas Francisco Jaramillo is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. A native of Puerto Rico, Prof. Jaramillo first came to Stanford University to pursue his B.S. in Chemical Engineering, followed by graduate school at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) where he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. Prof. Jaramillo then conducted post-doctoral research in the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) as a Hans Christian Ørsted Post-doctoral Fellow prior to returning to Stanford to embark on his independent research career.
Prof. Jaramillo’s research efforts are aimed at developing materials and processes that can accelerate important chemical transformations related to energy conversion with improved efficiency and durability. The overarching theme is the development of cost-effective, clean energy technologies that can benefit societal and economic growth while minimizing impacts to the environment. In pursuit of these goals, Prof. Jaramillo conducts fundamental studies into semiconductors and catalyst materials to understand the physical and chemical factors that govern their performance, insights which he then leverages to engineer improved materials and devices for sustainable energy.
Prof. Jaramillo has won a number of awards for his efforts, including the Resonate Award from the Resnick Institute (2014), the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers (PECASE, 2011), the U.S. Dept. of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Program Research & Development Award (2011), the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award (2011), and the Mohr-Davidow Ventures (MDV) Innovator Award (2009).