Abstract

My team at Argonne has been actively engaging in exploration of new electrocatalysts for energy and environmental applications using rational design and synthesis approaches. In this presentation, I will first discuss our recent breakthroughs in applying metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for green hydrogen applications including a) platinum group metal free (PGM-free) and ultralow platinum cathodic catalysts for the proton exchange member fuel cells (Science, 2018) and b) PGM-free catalysts as the replacement for iridium for water splitting (Science, 2023). I will also introduce our recent electrocatalysis studies on direct conversion of CO2 to C2+ chemicals (Nature Energy 2020, JACS 2024). The talk will cover concept for catalyst design, electrocatalytic performance measurement, understanding of catalytic mechanism, and prospects of these emerging technologies in future green energy applications.

Biography

Di-Jia Liu is a Senior Chemist at Chemical Sciences & Engineering Division of Argonne National Laboratory and a Senior Scientist at Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago. His current research interests include design and synthesis of nanomaterials for electrocatalysis, fuel cells, gas storage, hydrogen production by water splitting, water purification and more recently, electrocatalytic conversion of CO₂ to chemicals and fuels. Before joining Argonne in 2002, he was a Senior Principal Scientist at Honeywell International. Liu received B. Sc. degree in Chemistry from Peking University in 1982, Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry from The University of Chicago in 1987 and postdoctoral training at The University of California at Berkeley from 1988 to 1990. He published over 100 peer reviewed scientific publications, including 6 in Science and Nature family journals, received 32 granted US patents and four R&D 100 Awards.