CRC associate director in Catalysis Science & Technology

This simulation was chosen for the cover of the September 2018 issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Catalysis Science & Technology, accompanying the paper "The effect of topology in Lewis pair functionalized metal organic frameworks on CO2 adsorption and hydrogenation" by Pitt CRC associate director J. Karl Johnson, PhD, with co-authors Jingyun Ye and Lin Li.

Dr. Johnson, associate director at Pitt CRC and William Kepler Whiteford Professor in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, explains the research. "We are identifying the potential of two metal organic frameworks (MOFs) - compounds of metal ions grouped in clusters. These compounds have the potential to be used for both CO2 capture from exhaust gas, and for catalytic conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals."

Right:Design of a nano-material capable of separating CO2 (in red and gray) from N2 molecules (blue) and also capable of causing a catalytic reaction of CO2 with hydrogen molecules  to produce formic acid, a valuable precursor molecule for synthesis of fuels.

Read more at the Swanson School of Engineering: "Stepping toward a Smaller Carbon Footprint."