Urakawa

Research group


Abstract

We develop novel heterogeneous catalysts and catalytic processes with the aim to minimize the energy usage and negative impacts of such processes on environment while achieving high product yield and selectivity. We take a multi-disciplinary approach based on material science, reaction engineering, and in situ spectroscopy to gain solid comprehension of the active sites and the transformation pathways. Currently our major attentions are given to the conversion of CO2 into fuels and useful chemicals and also to the production of hydrogen, the important molecule for CO2 reduction. Also, powerful in situ spectroscopic tools for studying solid materials and gas-solid and solid-liquid interfaces are being developed and applied to shed light on catalytic reaction mechanisms.

Topics addressed

  • Catalytic CO2 conversion
  • Heterogeneous photo- and electrocatalysis for H2 production and CO2 reduction
  • Efficient analysis of temporally varying spectroscopic data

Articles

“Towards full one-pass conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol and methanol-derived products”
J. Catal. (2014), 309, 66-70
A. Bansode, A. Urakawa
(Highlighted as Editor’s choice in Science)

“Performance and characteristics of a high pressure, high temperature capillary cell with facile construction for operando x-ray absorption spectroscopy”
Rev. Sci. Instrum. (2014), 85, 084105
A. Bansode, G. Guilera, V. Cuartero, L. Simonelli, M. Avila, A. Urakawa

“Continuous DMC Synthesis from CO2 and Methanol over a CeO2 Catalyst in a Fixed Bed Reactor in the Presence of a Dehydrating Agent”
ACS Catal. (2014), 4, 3877-3880
A. Bansode, A. Urakawa

“MoS2-based materials as alternative cathode catalyst for PEM electrolysis”
Int. J. Hydrogen Energ. (2014), 39, 20837-20843
T. Corrales-Sánchez, J. Ampurdanés, A. Urakawa