Charles McCrory

The electrochemical transformation of small molecules is at the core of energy and environmental chemistry. Reactions of interest to our group include: 1) the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ and H₂O for the conversion of intermittent energy sources to chemical fuels, 2) the reduction of NO₃^- salts and other common pollutants for the remediation of agricultural wastewater, and 3) the low-temperature electrochemical conversion of N₂ to NH₃. In the McCrory group, our general research approach is to develop enabling technologies that allow for the careful study and control of electrocatalytic processes with an emphasis on kinetic and mechanistic analysis, and to use these approaches to address fundamental challenges in the electrochemical conversion of small molecules by solid-state and molecular catalysts. We use a combination of surface science and electrochemistry to directly observe reactive intermediates in the catalytic pathway in model systems and then use these mechanistic findings to develop new, efficient electrocatalytic materials.

Selected Representative Publications

Kallick, J. K.; Feng, W.-J.; McCrory, C. C. L. "Controlled Formation of a Controlled Formation of Multilayer Films of Discrete Molecular Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction using a Layer-by-Layer Growth Mechanism Based on Sequential Click Chemistry." ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2020, 7, 6222-6231.

Nie, W.-X.; Wang, Y.; Zheng, T.; Ibrahim, A.; Xu, Z.; McCrory, C. C. L. "Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Co Bis(pyridylmonoimine) Complexes: Effect of Ligand Flexibility on Catalytic Activity." ACS Catal., 2020, 10, 4942-4959.

Liu, Y.; McCrory, C. C. L. "Controlled Substrate Transport to Electrocatalyst Active Sites for Enhanced Selectivity in the Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction." 2019, Nat. Commun., 10, 1683.

Leung, K-Y.; McCrory, C. C. L. "The Effect and Prevention of Trace Ag⁺ Contamination from Ag/AgCl Reference Electrodes on CO₂ Reduction Product Distributions at Polycrystalline Copper Electrodes." ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2019, 2, 8283-8293.

Lin, C-C.; McCrory, C. C. L. "Effect of Chromium Doping on Electrochemical Water Oxidation Activity by Co_3-xCr_xO₄ Spinel." ACS Catal., 2017, 7, 443-451.

Kramer, W. W.; McCrory, C. C. L. "Polymer Coordination Promotes Selective CO₂ Reduction by Cobalt Phthalocyanine." Chem. Sci., 2016, 7, 2506-2515.

Education

Ph.D., Stanford University
PostDoc, California Institute of Technology

Research Areas(s)

• Analytical Chemistry
  Energy Science
  Electrochemistry
  Inorganic Chemistry
  Materials Chemistry
  Nano Chemistry
  Surface Chemistry

Awards(s)

• Cottrell Scholars Award, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, 2019-2022
• Kavli Fellow, Kavli Frontiers of Science Program, National Academy of Sciences, 2019
• NSF Career Award, Chemistry Division, Chemical Catalysis Program, 2018-2023
• Dow Corning Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 2017-2020
• Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, 2008
• Centennial Teaching Assistant Award, Stanford University, 2008
• Franklin Veatch Memorial Fellowship, Stanford University, 2006
• William H. Bell Award in Chemistry, Indiana University, 2002
• Wells Scholarship, Indiana University, 1999-2004