PI: Robert M. Waymouth, Chemistry; Co-PI: Britt Hedman, Photon Science, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource
One way to store energy from intermittent solar and wind power is to use the electricity to create renewable fuels, such as hydrogen from protons and methanol from CO2. This project hopes to overcome a major challenge to efficient, electrocatalytic reduction of protons and CO2. The scientists will use X-ray spectroscopy to characterize the electrocatalysts involved, and hopefully develop a new generation of highly efficient homogeneous electrocatalysts.