George O'Connell

George O'Connell

Faculty of Engineering
School of Chemical Engineering

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Location
Tyree Energy Technology Building

Project summary

In recent years, CO2 reforming through CO2 methanation and methane dry reforming garnered attention for simultaneously producing fuel and curbing anthropogenic CO2. Existing catalysts haven't surpassed the thermodynamic and kinetic reaction limitations, prompting the exploration of visible-light illumination via Local Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR). Employing LSPR offsets the thermal requirements while simultaneously enhancing catalytic performance. My project aims to understand how material properties such as surface oxygen defects, active metal deposit size, and their proximity impact the visible-light-enhanced thermocatalysis of these CO2 reforming reactions.