Professor Eva Nichols
Divisional Seminars, Inorganic
Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia
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“Design of Local Environment: From Molecular Electrocatalysis to Modified Electrode Interfaces”
Abstract: Understanding and controlling the local environment of an electrocatalyst is key to tuning kinetics, selectivity, and mechanism. This talk will feature my group’s recent work on the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon oxides (CO₂ and CO) using both molecular and interfacial systems. On the molecular side, I will discuss how iron porphyrin complexes are influenced by catalyst speciation, second coordination sphere (SCS) effects, and structural distortions during CO₂ electroreduction. Through systematic tuning of SCS acidity and macrocyclic planarity, we uncover structure–function relationships that alter thermochemical parameters, product distributions, and reaction mechanisms. Shifting to heterogeneous interfaces, I will highlight electrode functionalization using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), which impart tunable properties to electrode surfaces. SAM formation and dynamic behavior under applied potentials are then probed using electrochemical, spectroscopic, and acoustic techniques. Overall, this work illustrates how molecular-level design enables precise control of catalyst environments to unlock new pathways in small-molecule transformations.