Meet the Experts / ICN2
Unravelling electrochemical reactions with advanced spectroscopy
ICONIC’s mission to restore eutrophicated aquatic ecosystems goes together with using those pollutants – nitrates and carbonates – to produce valuable products, such as urea fertilizers. However, to be able to synthesize urea from the co-reduction of nitrates and carbonates, one needs the microenvironment of the reaction finely tuned so that the right precursors are obtained, and the bond between carbon and nitrogen can be formed. That process, highly challenging, is being addressed by the ICONIC team at ICN2.
“Our research focuses on fundamentally understanding how different active sites drive electrochemical reactions”, says ICREA Professor María Escudero Escribano, leader of the NanoESCLab group. “We want to understand the formation of electrochemically driven intermediates and leverage that knowledge to guide strategies for a more efficient urea synthesis”, she explains.
The group utilizes advanced spectroscopic techniques to investigate the reaction mechanisms of CO2 and nitrate reduction as well as methane and water oxidation. They do so by probing the electrode-electrolyte interface in situ, under well-known conditions. “We have succeeded in using Raman spectroscopy to probe the dynamics of adsorbed nitrogen species in a nitrate reduction on silver, through time-resolved and in-situ experiments”, explains María. “This milestone is the first step towards our goal of fundamentally understanding the electrochemical coupling of carbon-nitrogen in situ”.
A day in the lab
Since working under well-controlled conditions is delicate, and the electrochemical response is highly sensitive to impurities, the team always starts their lab days by thoroughly cleaning the glassware. “After cleaning, we set up the electrochemical cells to perform experiments, often coupled with spectroscopic techniques that let us correlate the electrochemical response with vibrational information on reaction intermediates”, explains Gabriel Floriano, postdoctoral researcher at the group. “And in between, there’s always time for coffee and insightful science discussions!” he adds.
They both highlight that living in Barcelona provides a lively environment to recharge outside the lab. “We find inspiration not only in the city’s festivals, the energy of the Festes Majors, but also in its beautiful natural surroundings, hiking in the nearby mountains”, says Gabriel. “Relaxing on the beaches and enjoying the Mediterranean landscape always sparks curiosity and creativity”.