BPI Seminar by Dr. Cédric Tard

TITTLE

Electrochemical Analysis of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer: Fundamental Studies & Applications  

LOCATION: KAIS #2020 on the 2nd Floor of Fred Kaiser Building located at 2332 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

AGENDA

• 12:00pm Introduction by Prof. Johan Foster
• 12:05pm Keynote by Prof. Cédric Tard, Molecular Chemistry Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France
• 12:50pm Q&A

*Sandwiches and coffee will be provided from 11:45am.

ABSTRACT

In-depth cyclic voltammetry analysis has proven to be a powerful tool for addressing intricate reaction mechanisms involving proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions.¹ We have demonstrated the use of this analytical technique to study intramolecular PCET reactions,² molecular bond breaking coupled with PCET reactions,³ molecular catalytic reactions coupled with PCET,⁴ and heterogeneous electrocatalyst mechanisms involving PCET.⁵ These fundamental reactions are illustrated through theoretical analysis and experimental examples.

Electrochemical water splitting is a clean technology with the potential for large-scale production of highly pure dihydrogen, a major energy vector for the near future. Over the years, benchmarking protocols have been proposed to evaluate the electrocatalytic water splitting activity and stability of heterogeneous hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts. However, the complexity of these multiple electron/proton transfer reactions makes it difficult to obtain reliable electrochemical measurements and gain direct insight into the HER and OER mechanisms. Herein we will discuss different aspects of PCET reactions, from electrochemical water splitting toward lignin activation.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Cédric Tard is a research director at CNRS, director of the Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry (LCM), and a professor at Ecole Polytechnique, France. He obtained his PhD at the John Innes Center at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, United Kingdom) in 2005. Following a postdoctoral position at the Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics (PMC) at the Ecole Polytechnique, he was recruited in 2008 at the CNRS in the Laboratory of Molecular Electrochemistry at the University Paris Diderot, where he stayed for about ten years. His main research themes focus on the study of water electrolysis, from fundamental aspects to applications, as well as the valorization of carbon dioxide and ligning through electrochemical processes.