The Jurss Lab is an interdisciplinary research team that focuses on developing and understanding new earth-abundant catalysts for energy conversion chemistry and the selective functionalization of hydrocarbons. To address global energy concerns, we aim to store solar energy or renewable electricity in the chemical bonds of energy-rich fossil fuel alternatives, such as H2 and CH4, by coupling water oxidation to reductive half reactions (i.e. CO2 reduction). For hydrocarbon conversion, new catalysts are being developed to introduce functionality into organic molecules with unactivated C-H bonds to streamline organic synthesis.
Special attention will be given to translating the reactivity of molecular inorganic systems to electrode surfaces for electrochemical and light-driven catalysis. Mechanistic studies involving proton-coupled electron transfer and electronic structure will be pursued as they relate to these goals.
We are currently recruiting motivated graduate students and undergraduates to join our lab! If you are interested in our research, please contact Dr. Jurss by email.
Coworkers in the Jurss Lab will learn rational catalyst design, organic and inorganic synthesis, molecular characterization techniques (NMR, X-ray crystallography, UV-Vis-IR spectroscopy, gas chromatography, LC-MS), electrochemistry, photochemistry, UV-Vis and IR spectroelectrochemistry, and reaction kinetics.
