Event
ChBE Seminar Series: Sanjeev Mukerjee
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Room 2110, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Bldg.
Professor Chunsheng Wang
cswang@umd.edu
Finally Unplugged: New Revolution in Energy Conversion
Sanjeev Mukerjee
Professor
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Director, Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology
Northeastern University
Mankind is at the helm of a perfect storm of environmental repercussions of our enhanced carbon emissions and the rapid rise of energy prices together with its unfortunate global political consequences. In addition there is a rapid change in lifestyle which is more mobile and free of locational consideration. This presentation will provide an introduction to the emerging technology of electrochemical energy conversion and storage using low and medium temperature fuel cells and Li-Air batteries which promises to finally un-tether us in all our daily pursuits. Materials challenges as it pertains to charge transfer at an electrochemical interface will be showcased in light of the oxygen reduction reaction and direct oxidation of organic fuels. New insights on structure property correlation for both electrocatalysts and electrolytes in light of novel more complex materials will be presented. Investigations on the role of the reaction center will be presented in light of new data from synchrotron based in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements which are more specifically tailored towards elucidation of surface adsorption modes.
