Reutilizing carbon dioxide to produce clean burning fuels

David Go has always seen himself as something of a black sheep when it comes to his scientific research approach, and his recent work in developing clean alternative fuels from carbon dioxide is no exception.

In 2015, Go and his research team at the University of Notre Dame were awarded a $50,000 grant to purse innovative electrochemical research in green energy technology through the ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship. With a goal of aiding scientists in advancing alternative energies, the fellowship aims to empower young researchers in creating next-generation vehicles capable of utilizing alternative fuels that can lead to climate change action in transportation.

The road less traveled

While advancing research in electric vehicles and fuel cells tend to be the top research areas in sustainable transportation, Go and his team is opting to go down the road less traveled through a new approach to green chemistry: plasma electrochemistry.

(MORE: Read Go’s Meeting Abstract on this topic, entitled “Electrochemical Reduction of CO_2(aq) By Solvated Electrons at a Plasma-Liquid Interface.”)

“Our approach to electrochemistry is completely a-typical,” Go, associate professor at the University of Notre Dame, says. “We use a technique called plasma electrochemistry with the aim of processing carbon dioxide – a pollutant – back into more useful products, such as clean-burning fuels.”

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At the 229th ECS Meeting in San Diego, we had the opportunity to gather the grantees from our Science for Solving Society’s Problems challenge, done in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Nine grantees came to the table to discuss how ECS facilitated an unprecedented program leading to ground-breaking collaboration and real scientific advancements, while creating a funding opportunity which has helped contribute to planet sustainability.

Listen as these esteemed researchers discuss the global water and sanitation crisis and how electrochemical and solid state science could begin to solve these pressing issues. Today you’ll hear from Plamen Atanassov, University of New Mexico; Luis Godinez, CIDETEQ; Gemma Reguera, Michigan State University; Juan Pablo Esquivel and Erik Kjeang, CSIC and Simon Fraser University; Jorg Kretzschmar (on behalf of Falk Harnisch), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Gerardine Botte, Ohio University; Eric Wachsman, University of Maryland; Carl Hensman, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation representative, and our host E. Jennings Taylor.

Listen to the podcast and download this episode and others for free through the iTunes Store, SoundCloud, or our RSS Feed. You can also find us on Stitcher.

Pictured (from left to right): Mahsa Lotfi Marchoubeh, Leanne Mathurin, Isaac Taylor, and Haitham Kalil
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It is with great pride that ECS honors the winners of the General Student Poster Session Awards for the 229th ECS Meeting in San Diego, California. In following with biannual ECS meeting tradition, awards recognized the top two poster presentations in electrochemical and solid state categories.

ECS established the General Student Poster Session Awards in 1993 to acknowledge the eminence of its students’ work. The winners exhibit a profound understanding of their research topic and its relation to fields of interest to ECS.

In order to be eligible for the General Student Poster Session Awards, students must submit their abstracts to the Z01 General Society Student Poster Session symposium and present their posters at the biannual meeting. First and second place winners receive a certificate in addition to a cash award.

The winners of the General Student Poster Session Awards for the 229th ECS Meeting are as follows:

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Don’t miss out on your chance to receive an ECS travel grant this year! The deadline for travel grant application submissions for PRiME 2016 is just around the corner—Friday, June 10th, 2016!

Many ECS divisions and sections offer travel grants to undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and young professionals & faculty presenting papers at ECS biannual meetings. Applications must be received no later than the submission deadline.

Click here to view a list of the ECS divisions and sections currently offering travel grants.

Important note: Applicants may only apply for a travel grant from one division.

Travel grant applications are available to student/postdoc and young professional/early career applicants.

After reviewing the additional application requirements for your particular division or section, please contact travelgrant@electrochem.org with any questions or concerns.

ECS wishes all applicants the best of luck! Hope to see you in Honolulu this October!

Endowed by the Dow Chemical Company Foundation to recognize significant advances in industrial electrochemistry, the IEEE Division New Electrochemical Technology (NET) Award is the only award within the ECS Honors & Awards Program presented to an organization. The purpose of the award is to promote high quality applied electrochemical research and development and is intended to highlight novel electrochemical technology which has been practiced at a commercial scale.

Apply today!
Deadline: June 15, 2016

IEEE NET Award consists of a commemorative plaque (for up to 6 key contributors). The Award will be presented at the annual IEEE Division business luncheon and the winners will be asked to present a paper on the technology development during a Division-sponsored symposium. Recipients may receive travel assistance in order to attend the designated meeting. Organizations are encouraged to self-nominate and re-application is allowed.

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