Wenzhen Li

To limit global warming to below 2°C, an 80–100% reduction in energy-related emissions is required by 2050. Currently, CO₂ emissions from industrial sources (e.g., flue gas from power plants and cement kilns) are highly dilute, and the conventional processes required to capture, concentrate, and pressurize CO₂ to high purity are cost-prohibitive. To address this, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has prioritized Reactive Capture and Conversion (RCC) as a transformative strategy. RCC avoids these energy penalties by seamlessly integrating CO₂ capture directly from dilute industrial streams with immediate electrochemical conversion into value-added products.

In this seminar, I will introduce an integrated electrocatalytic process and novel electrocatalysts for RCC and C–N coupling, providing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional amine-based capture methods. First, I will present our work on coupling electrodialysis with electrocatalysis to synthesize green ammonia for integrated CO₂ capture and reduction. We demonstrate an innovative reactive nitrogen-to-ammonia conversion process using a membrane-free alkaline electrolyzer (MFAEL) that achieves an ultra-high partial current density of 4.2 A/cm². The resulting ammonia acts as both a valuable chemical and a reactive agent for CO₂ capture via ammonium bicarbonate (NH₄HCO₃) formation, which significantly outperforms conventional bicarbonate-fed systems in formate production. We further utilize MOF-derived bismuth nanosheets to achieve >50% Faradaic efficiency (FE) for formate at 500 mA/cm², while employing nickel single-atom catalysts (Ni-SACs) to mitigate NH₄⁺ poisoning and maintain superior CO FE at high current densities. Additionally, our Cu/Ag-based biocatalyst layer enables direct bicarbonate conversion to C₂₊ chemicals with FE of >40% at 100 mA/cm². Finally, I will discuss the expansion of this platform into electrochemical C–N bond formation. By anchoring Pt single atoms onto 2D MnO₂ nanosheets, we enable the coupling of PET-derived ethylene glycol with green ammonia to synthesize formamide, a critical chemical intermediate. This process exhibits robust performance, maintaining industrially relevant current densities of up to 1 A/cm², and demonstrates 100-hour operational stability. These electrochemical advancements pave the way for next-generation, distributed manufacturing technologies in nitrogen waste remediation, carbon capture and utilization, and renewable chemical production.

Dr. Wenzhen Li is the Manley Hoppe Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Iowa State University. His research program bridges electrochemistry, catalysis, paired electrolysis, and the development of advanced functional materials for sustainability. Dr. Li has published over 138 peer-reviewed articles with more than 20,000 citations, holds nine issued patents, and maintains an H-index of 76. His current work focuses on the design of advanced electrocatalysts, the electrochemical conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals, green fertilizer synthesis, carbon dioxide capture and conversion, and innovative paired electrolyzer design. These activities are well supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Li received his Ph.D. with honors from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His postdoctoral training included appointments with Prof. Masahiro Watanabe at the University of Yamanashi and Prof. Yushan Yan at the University of California, Riverside. Before joining Iowa State University in 2014, he served as a research scientist at the SUNY-Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, followed by faculty appointments at Michigan Technological University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a recipient of several research honors, including the ACS-Petroleum Research Foundation Doctoral New Investigator Award, the Iowa State University Bailey Career Development Award, the Outstanding Achievement in Research Award, and the Electrochemical Society Walter van Schalkwijk Award in Sustainable Energy Technology.

• Time: 11:00 AM
• Location: 206 Furnas Hall