Research Projects

The increasing global energy consumption from limited fossil fuels necessitates a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and sustainable energy future. Hydrogen is a promising alternative to fossil fuels, as it can be generated via proton reduction using renewable electrical energy stored in chemical bonds for long periods. However, hydrogenases are inactive in aerobic conditions, making them ineffective for large-scale production. Bioinspired catalysts have been developed to develop efficient proton reduction catalysts through metal hydride intermediates. Pt complexes are excellent catalysts for H2 evolution reaction, but their high cost limits their application for industrial hydrogen production. Scientists have been constrained to develop low-cost electrocatalysts using earth abundant first-row transition metals like Fe, Ni, Cu, and Co. The role of the catalyst is to lower the activation barrier for the reduction of proton to dihydrogen. The design of ligands is crucial for tuning the oxidation states of the metal during the catalytic HER through metal hydride intermediate. In recent decades, several electrocatalysts based on earth abundant first-row transition metal ions like Ni, Co, and Fe have been designed, synthesized, and studied. However, only few copper-based homogenous electrocatalysts have been reported. This project aims to synthesize multiple N- and S-donor ligands to design and synthesize efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution based on copper metal ions. This work will help develop efficient copper-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel generation.

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