{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122714"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122714","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Graphite-conjugated catalysts : bridging heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts","abstract":"This interconversion occurs via complex multistep, multielectron reactions, which can be carried out by either metallic heterogeneous or molecular homogeneous electrocatalysts. Metallic heterogeneous catalysts have a continuum of electronic states that distribute the redox burden of multielectron reactions, allowing for efficient catalysis. However, heterogeneous catalysts display a variety of active sites and local electronic structures, and are difficult to fine-tune at a molecular level. On the other hand, homogeneous catalysts allow a great degree of synthetic control over the catalytic active site. Moreover, the relative ease in spectroscopic characterization allows a mechanistic understanding of molecular catalysis at a level that is unattainable for heterogeneous catalysis. To bridge the advantages of both types of catalysts, we have developed a surface functionalization strategy for conjugating molecularly well-defined active sites to graphitic carbon surfaces.","abstract_html":"This interconversion occurs via complex multistep, multielectron reactions, which can be carried out by either metallic heterogeneous or molecular homogeneous electrocatalysts. Metallic heterogeneous catalysts have a continuum of electronic states that distribute the redox burden of multielectron reactions, allowing for efficient catalysis. However, heterogeneous catalysts display a variety of active sites and local electronic structures, and are difficult to fine-tune at a molecular level. On the other hand, homogeneous catalysts allow a great degree of synthetic control over the catalytic active site. Moreover, the relative ease in spectroscopic characterization allows a mechanistic understanding of molecular catalysis at a level that is unattainable for heterogeneous catalysis. To bridge the advantages of both types of catalysts, we have developed a surface functionalization strategy for conjugating molecularly well-defined active sites to graphitic carbon surfaces.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Oh, Seokjoon."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Doctoral","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Yogesh Surendranath."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019","date_published":"2019","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:13Z","subjects":["Chemistry."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122714","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Yogesh Surendranath."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry","Chem"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Oh, Seokjoon."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2019-11-04T20:20:43Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-11-04T20:20:43Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2019"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctoral"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Chemistry."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122714"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 2019","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Page 156 blank.","Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This interconversion occurs via complex multistep, multielectron reactions, which can be carried out by either metallic heterogeneous or molecular homogeneous electrocatalysts. Metallic heterogeneous catalysts have a continuum of electronic states that distribute the redox burden of multielectron reactions, allowing for efficient catalysis. However, heterogeneous catalysts display a variety of active sites and local electronic structures, and are difficult to fine-tune at a molecular level. On the other hand, homogeneous catalysts allow a great degree of synthetic control over the catalytic active site. Moreover, the relative ease in spectroscopic characterization allows a mechanistic understanding of molecular catalysis at a level that is unattainable for heterogeneous catalysis. To bridge the advantages of both types of catalysts, we have developed a surface functionalization strategy for conjugating molecularly well-defined active sites to graphitic carbon surfaces.","First, I will discuss the preparation and characterization of two new types of conjugating N-heterocyclic linkages to graphitic carbon surfaces. This work presents a general method for characterizing modified carbon surfaces with molecular-level structural detail. Then, I will present the electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction activity of a graphite-conjugated rhenium catalyst, and compare its catalytic behavior to that of a molecular analog. Electrochemical and spectroscopic data show that graphite-conjugated catalysts do not behave identically to their molecular analogs, but rather show properties similar to that of metallic heterogeneous catalysts, providing a unique bridge between the worlds of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis.","Finally, in the appendix, I will present a chapter on the stability of graphite-conjugated linkages under electrochemical polarization, followed by a chapter on catalyzing the reduction of molecular pyridinium species using a graphite-conjugated rhodium catalyst."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Graphite-conjugated catalysts : bridging heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Yogesh Surendranath."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry","Chem"],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry."],"dc:creator":["Oh, Seokjoon."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2019-11-04T20:20:43Z"],"dc:date.available":["2019-11-04T20:20:43Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2019"],"dc:description":["Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 2019","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Page 156 blank.","Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["This interconversion occurs via complex multistep, multielectron reactions, which can be carried out by either metallic heterogeneous or molecular homogeneous electrocatalysts. Metallic heterogeneous catalysts have a continuum of electronic states that distribute the redox burden of multielectron reactions, allowing for efficient catalysis. However, heterogeneous catalysts display a variety of active sites and local electronic structures, and are difficult to fine-tune at a molecular level. On the other hand, homogeneous catalysts allow a great degree of synthetic control over the catalytic active site. Moreover, the relative ease in spectroscopic characterization allows a mechanistic understanding of molecular catalysis at a level that is unattainable for heterogeneous catalysis. To bridge the advantages of both types of catalysts, we have developed a surface functionalization strategy for conjugating molecularly well-defined active sites to graphitic carbon surfaces.","First, I will discuss the preparation and characterization of two new types of conjugating N-heterocyclic linkages to graphitic carbon surfaces. This work presents a general method for characterizing modified carbon surfaces with molecular-level structural detail. Then, I will present the electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction activity of a graphite-conjugated rhenium catalyst, and compare its catalytic behavior to that of a molecular analog. Electrochemical and spectroscopic data show that graphite-conjugated catalysts do not behave identically to their molecular analogs, but rather show properties similar to that of metallic heterogeneous catalysts, providing a unique bridge between the worlds of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis.","Finally, in the appendix, I will present a chapter on the stability of graphite-conjugated linkages under electrochemical polarization, followed by a chapter on catalyzing the reduction of molecular pyridinium species using a graphite-conjugated rhodium catalyst."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122714"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Chemistry."],"dc:title":["Graphite-conjugated catalysts : bridging heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctoral"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:13Z"}