Catalytic Interfaces for Sustainable Chemical Energy Carriers

Chemical energy carriers fed and fueled societies long before the industrial revolution. With the increasingly wide-spread and rapidly accelerating conversion of chemical energy carriers, a problem became apparent: the impact of fossil fuel combustion products on our atmosphere and environment. While the storage of energy in alternative forms shows promise for some applications, chemical energy storage compounds will continue to play a critical role in our society. 

The interconversion of sustainable chemical energy storage compounds – such as methanol, hydrogen, or ammonia – depend on complex bond rearrangement processes at catalytic interfaces. The target of this Focus Group – headed by TUM-IAS Rudolf Mößbauer Tenure Track Assistant Professor Max J. Hülsey – is to generate a deeper understanding of how sorption phenomena and chemical reactions on surfaces occur in a broad range of catalytic systems. Specifically, we aim to bridge the divides between thermochemical, electrochemical, and photochemical catalysis by developing comparative models that span these traditionally siloed disciplines. Through this integrative approach, we hope to provide new insights that can accelerate the implementation of sustainable chemical energy carriers.