Abstract:

Metal complexes are capable electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. Particularly, the tunability of the first and second coordination environments to control the reactivity of metal centers are compelling reasons to develop homogeneous catalysts for challenging reactions such as the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. For the last decade, we have studied the CO2 reduction activity of a series of rhenium, nickel and cobalt complexes. I will present our experimental work on C-13 kinetic isotope effects and our studies on the syntheses and characterization of new metal complexes containing pyridine-oxazoline and chlorin ligands. Our conclusions will enable the design of more active and efficient (electro)catalysts for this important reaction.

Short Biography of the Speaker:

Dr. Alfredo Angeles-Boza obtained his B.Sc. degree from the Pontifical Catholic University in Lima (Peru). Before starting his Ph.D. studies, he was an Inorganic Chemistry Lecturer at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and a research assistant with Prof. Tracy Hanna at Texas Christian University. Alfredo obtained his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Texas A&M University under the guidance of Prof. Kim Dunbar. After postdoctoral work at Texas A&M University (Prof. Jean-Philippe Pellois) and Johns Hopkins University (Prof. Justine Roth), he joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Connecticut in 2012, where he is an Associate Professor. Alfredo has received the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award and a Fulbright scholarship. He has been a Visiting Professor at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg. His research interests are in mechanistic inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry.