About
Fossil fuel use has led to rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that threaten the planet. Chibueze Amanchukwu’s work involves re-envisioning CO2 – instead of fossil fuels – as a resource for a new chemical industry. Here, his research group combines undesired CO2 as the carbon source, H2O as the proton source, and electrons from renewable electricity as the energy source to make desired products. Unfortunately, several challenges plague the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to desired products such as ethylene. Amanchukwu’s work primarily focuses on understanding electrolyte effects (electrolytes are salts dissolved in solvent) and how electrolyte selection can modify the catalyst/electrolyte interface, change the electrochemical reaction, and selectively control the desired product that forms. Coupling their electrolyte design strategies with novel catalysts will allow his team to transform the chemical industry by creating value from undesired CO2 for chemical and plastics production
Awards
- NSF CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2022
- ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship, Electrochemical Society, 2021
- 3M Nontenured Faculty Award, 3M, 2021
- 12 Under 12 Texas A&M University Young Alumni Spotlight, Texas A&M University, 2021
- Emerging Investigator, Journal of Materials Chemistry (Royal Society of Chemistry), 2021
Relevant Publications
- Gomes, R.J., Birch, C., Cencer, M.M., Li, C., Son, S-B., Bloom, I.D., Assary, R.S., & Amanchukwu, C.V. (2021). Probing electrolyte influence on CO2 reduction in aprotic solvents. ChemRxiv. DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2021-17zmv
- Ma, P., Mirmira, P., & Amanchukwu, C.V. (2021). Effect of Building Block Connectivity and Ion Solvation on Electrochemical Stability and Ionic Conductivity in Novel Fluoroether Electrolytes. ACS Cent. Sci. 7 (7), 1232-1244. DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00503
- Amanchukwu, C.V. (2020). The Electrolyte Frontier: A Manifesto. Joule, 4 (2) 281-285. DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2019.12.009
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