Address the “alkalinity problem” in CO2 electrolysis with catalyst design and translation

Abstract

Chubai Chen joined the chemistry program at UC Berkeley in 2017 under the supervision of Professor Peidong Yang. Previously, he obtained his bachelor's degree in material chemistry from University of Science and Technology of China. Now, his research interests focus on small molecule electrochemical conversion and corresponding mechanism study. Yifan Li received his PhD in chemistry from UC Berkeley in 2019 under Professor Peidong Yang, after receiving his AB in chemistry from Princeton University in 2014. His graduate and post-graduate research has centered around identifying active sites on nanomaterial catalysts for the electrocatalytic transformation of CO₂, particularly to multi-carbon and multi-electron products. His continued research interests lie in the discovery and characterization of nanostructured materials for energy storage, generation, and conversion, with special interest in their behavior under operating conditions. Peidong Yang is the S.K. and Angela Chan distinguished chair in energy at UC Berkeley in the departments of chemistry and materials science & engineering. He is also the senior faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the director of California Research Alliance by BASF and Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute. Before being a professor at UC Berkeley, he conducted postdoc research at UCSB and received a chemistry PhD at Harvard University. He obtained his bachelor's degree in chemistry from University of Science and Technology of China. His research interests focus on nanoscience and renewable energy technology development.