CAREER: Advancing Electrocatalysis with Monolithic Nanoporous Electrodes: A Study of Redox Transport and Confinement

Designing efficient and sustainable ways to produce fuels and chemicals is a major challenge in petrochemical manufacturing. Electrochemical processes can help improve efficiency. They involve porous metal electrodes that contain catalysts. This CAREER project will examine chemical reactions inside the small pores of the electrode. The research will reveal how pore size and connectivity influence reaction efficiency. The project will focus on hydrogen production and carbon dioxide conversion as example reactions. Still, the knowledge gained will benefit other electrochemical reactions. The project will emphasize education and workforce development. Undergraduate students will have access to interactive virtual laboratory simulations, hands-on research training, and mentorship in analytical chemistry techniques. These efforts will expand access to STEM education and help prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers. The project will investigate how nanoscale confinement and mass transport in nanoporous metal electrodes influence electrocatalytic efficiency and product selectivity. Although nanoporous electrodes are promising, fundamental understanding of how pore geometry and interconnectivity govern these effects remains limited due to heterogeneous structures and ensemble-averaged measurements. This project will establish monolithic nanopore electrode arrays with precisely defined dimensions and connectivity to quantitatively study redox transport, confinement, and reaction dynamics during hydrogen evolution and carbon dioxide reduction reactions. By integrating advanced nanofabrication, scanning electrochemical cell microscopy, and correlated opto- and spectro-electrochemical measurements, the work will resolve single-nanopore activity, local pH gradients, intermediate residence times, and product formation under operando conditions, leading to predictive design rules for efficient and selective nanoporous electrocatalysts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2541356 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Vignesh Sundaresan | Institution: University of Mississippi, UNIVERSITY, MS | Award Amount: $691,938 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2541356 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2541356.html