Home / Faculty & Research / Andrew B. Bocarsly

Andrew B. Bocarsly

Research Focus Selected Publications Related News Collaborations

Research Area:

Catalysis / Synthesis

Inorganic Chemistry

Materials

Contact:

Andrew B. Bocarsly
Professor of Chemistry
[email protected]
Frick Laboratory, 388
609-258-3888

Faculty Assistant:

Pattie Faranetta
Faculty / Grants Assistant
[email protected]
Frick Laboratory, 228
609-258-5202

Bocarsly Group Website

Research Focus

Andrew Bocarsly’s research interests lie in the general field of physical inorganic chemistry, with a focus on the chemistry of charge transfer processes and the chemistry of surfaces. This interest, along with environmental concerns, has resulted in research on electrochemistry and photoelectrochemistry for the conversion of CO₂ to organic compounds of utility for fuels and synthesis.

A primary goal in his group’s research is the generation of multi-carbon species from carbon dioxide via the development of novel heterogeneous electrocatalysts. In addition, his CO₂ chemistry has led to the exploration of coordination complexes as both electrocatalyst and photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction.

Separately, his group also explores the interface between coordination chemistry and materials synthesis via the development of cyanogel systems for the low temperature formation of metal alloys and semiconductors.

Selected Publications

Cronin, S. P.; Dulovic, S.; Lawrence, J. A.; Filsinger, K. A.; Hernandez-Gonzalez, A. P.; Evans, R.; Stiles, J. W.; Morris, J.; Pelczer, I.; Bocarsly, A. B. Direct Synthesis of 1-butanol with High Faradaic Efficiency from CO₂ Utilizing Cascade Catalysis at a Ni-Enhanced (Cr₂O₃)₃Ga₂O₃ Electrocatalyst. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 6762–6772. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c12251

Cohen, K. Y.; Evans, R.; Bocarsly, A. B. Extending the π-System in Mn(I) Diimine Tricarbonyl Complexes: Impacts on Photochemistry, Electrochemistry, and CO₂ Catalytic Reduction Activity. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2023, n/a (n/a), e202300435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.202300435.

Cohen, K. Y.; Nedd, D. G.; Evans, R.; Bocarsly, A. B. Mechanistic insights into CO₂ conversion to CO using cyano manganese complexes. Dalton Transactions 2023, 52 (22), 7524-7537, 10.1039/D3DT00891F. DOI: 10.1039/D3DT00891F.

Cohen, K. Y.; Evans, R.; Dulovic, S.; Bocarsly, A. B. Using Light and Electrons to Bend Carbon Dioxide: Developing and Understanding Catalysts for CO₂ Conversion to Fuels and Feedstocks. Accounts Chem Res 2022, 55 (7), 944-954. DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00643.

Heo, S.; Roh, K.; Zhang, F. Y.; Tignor, S. E.; Bocarsly, A. B.; Kahn, A.; Rand, B. P. Electrochemically n-Doped CsPbBr₃ Nanocrystal Thin Films. ACS Energy Letters 2022, 7 (1), 211-216. DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02554.

Foster, B. M.; Paris, A. R.; Frick, J. J.; Blasini-Pérez, D. A.; Cava, R. J.; Bocarsly, A. B. Catalytic Mismatching of CuInSe₂ and Ni₃Al Demonstrates Selective Photoelectrochemical CO₂ Reduction to Methanol. ACS Applied Energy Materials 2020, 3 (1), 109-113. DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.9b01441.

Kuo, H. Y.; Tignor, S. E.; Lee, T. S.; Ni, D.; Park, J. E.; Scholes, G. D.; Bocarsly, A. B. Reduction-induced CO dissociation by a [Mn(bpy)(CO)₄][SbF₆] complex and its relevance in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction. Dalton Trans 2020, 49 (3), 891-900. DOI: 10.1039/c9dt04150h.

Paris, A. R.; Frick, J. J.; Ni, D.; Smith, M. R.; Bocarsly, A. B. Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Transformations of CO₂. In An Economy Based on Carbon Dioxide and Water: Potential of Large Scale Carbon Dioxide Utilization, Aresta, M., Karimi, I., Kawi, S. Eds.; Springer, 2019; pp 239-286.

Tignor, S. E.; Shaw, T. W.; Bocarsly, A. B. Elucidating the origins of enhanced CO₂ reduction in manganese electrocatalysts bearing pendant hydrogen-bond donors. Dalton Trans 2019, 48 (33), 12730-12737. DOI: 10.1039/c9dt02060h.

Paris, A. R.; Bocarsly, A. B., High-Efficiency Conversion of CO2 to Oxalate in Water Is Possible Using a Cr-Ga Oxide Electrocatalyst. ACS Catalysis 2019, 2324-2333.

Kuo, H.-Y.; Lee, T. S.; Chu, A. T.; Tignor, S. E.; Scholes, G. D.; Bocarsly, A. B., A cyanide-bridged di-manganese carbonyl complex that photochemically reduces CO2 to CO. Dalton Transactions 2019, 48, 1226-1236

Ni, D.; Kuo, H.-Y.; Park, J. E.; Lee, T. S.; Sloman, S.-R. I.; Cava, R. J.; Bocarsly, A. B., Improved H2 Evolution in Quaternary SCIGS Chalcopyrite Semiconductors. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2018, 122 (43), 24512-24519.

Frick, J. J.; Cava, R. J.; Bocarsly, A. B., Chalcopyrite CuIn(S_1–_xSe_x)₂ for Photoelectrocatalytic H₂ Evolution: Unraveling the Energetics and Complex Kinetics of Photogenerated Charge Transfer in the Semiconductor Bulk. Chem Mater 2018, 30 (13), 4422-4431.

Paris, A. R.; Bocarsly, A. B., Ni–Al Films on Glassy Carbon Electrodes Generate an Array of Oxygenated Organics from CO2. ACS Catalysis 2017, 7, 6815-6820.

Pander III, J. E.; Baruch, M. F.; Bocarsly, A. B., Probing the Mechanism of Aqueous CO2 Reduction on Post-Transition-Metal Electrodes using ATR-IR Spectroelectrochemistry. ACS Catalysis 2016, 6 (11), 7824-7833.

Zeitler, E. L.; Ertem, M. Z.; Pander, J. E.; Yan, Y.; Batista, V. S.; Bocarsly, A. B., Isotopic Probe Illuminates the Role of the Electrode Surface in Proton Coupled Hydride Transfer Electrochemical Reduction of Pyridinium on Pt(111). J Electrochem Soc 2015, 162 (14), H938-H944.

White, J. L.; Baruch, M. F.; III, J. E. P.; Hu, Y.; Fortmeyer, I. C.; Park, J. E.; Zhang, T.; Liao, K.; Gu, J.; Yan, Y.; Shaw, T. W.; Abelev, E.; Bocarsly, A. B., Light-Driven Heterogeneous Reduction of Carbon Dioxide: Photocatalysts and Photoelectrodes. Chem. Rev. 2015, 115 (23), 12888-12935.

Agarwal, J.; Shaw, T. W.; Schaefer, H. F.; Bocarsly, A. B., Design of a Catalytic Active Site for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction with Mn(I)-Tricarbonyl Species. Inorg Chem 2015, 54 (11), 5285-5294.

White, J. L.; Herb, J. T.; Kaczur, J. J.; Majsztrik, P. W.; Bocarsly, A. B., Photons to formate: Efficient electrochemical solar energy conversion via reduction of carbon dioxide. Journal of CO2 Utilization 2014, 7, 1-5.

Gu, J.; Yan, Y.; Krizan, J. W.; Gibson, Q. D.; Detweiler, Z. M.; Cava, R. J.; Bocarsly, A. B., “p-Type CuRhO2 as a Self-Healing Photoelectrode for Water Reduction under Visible Light.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2014, 136 (3), 830-833.

Agarwal, J.; Shaw, T. W.; Stanton, C. J., III; Majetich, G. F.; Bocarsly, A. B.; Schaefer, H. F., III, “NHC-Containing Manganese(I) Electrocatalysts for the Two-Electron Reduction of CO2.” Angewandte Chemie-International Edition 2014, 53 (20), 5152-5155.

Watkins, J. D.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Direct Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate in High-Gas-Capacity Ionic Liquids at Post-Transition-Metal Electrodes.” Chemsuschem 2014, 7 (1), 284-290.

Yan, Y.; Zeitler, E. L.; Gu, J.; Hu, Y.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Electrochemistry of Aqueous Pyridinium: Exploration of a Key Aspect of Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Methanol.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2013, 135 (38), 14020-14023.

Bocarsly, A. B.; Gibson, Q. D.; Morris, A. J.; L’Esperance, R. P.; Detweiler, Z. M.; Lakkaraju, P. S.; Zeitler, E. L.; Shaw, T. W., “Comparative Study of Imidazole and Pyridine Catalyzed Reduction of Carbon Dioxide at Illuminated Iron Pyrite Electrodes.” Acs Catalysis 2012, 2 (8), 1684-1692.

Cole, E. B.; Lakkaraju, P. S.; Rampulla, D. M.; Morris, A. J.; Abelev, E.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Using a One-Electron Shuttle for the Multielectron Reduction of CO2 to Methanol: Kinetic, Mechanistic, and Structural Insights.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2010, 132 (33), 11539-11551.

Burgess, C. M.; Yao, N.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Stabilizing cyanosols: amorphous cyanide bridged transition metal polymer nanoparticles.” Journal of Materials Chemistry 2009, 19 (46), 8846-8855.

Barton, E. E.; Rampulla, D. M.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Selective solar-driven reduction of CO2 to methanol using a catalyzed p-GaP based photoelectrochemical cell.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2008, 130 (20), 6342-+.

Vondrova, M.; McQueen, T. M.; Burgess, C. M.; Ho, D. M.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Autoreduction of Pd-Co and Pt-Co cyanogels: Exploration of cyanometalate coordination chemistry at elevated temperatures.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2008, 130 (16), 5563-5572.

Majsztrik, P.; Bocarsly, A.; Benziger, J., “Water Permeation through Nafion Membranes: The Role of Water Activity.” Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2008, 112 (51), 16280-16289.

Vondrova, M.; Burgess, C. M.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Cyanogel coordination polymers as precursors to transition metal alloys and intermetallics – from traditional heating to microwave processing.” Chemistry of Materials 2007, 19 (9), 2203-2212.

Mann, J.; Yao, N.; Bocarsly, A. B., “Characterization and analysis of new catalysts for a direct ethanol fuel cell.” Langmuir 2006, 22 (25), 10432-10436.