Electrocatalysis: A Future of Sustainable Chemical Production | Umit Ozkan | TEDxOhioStateUniversity

TEDx Talks
26 Jul 202215:16
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis script delves into the critical role of ammonia in sustaining global populations through its use in fertilizers. It recounts the speaker's journey from Turkey to becoming a chemical engineering professor, highlighting her pioneering work in heterogeneous and electric catalysis. The talk emphasizes the impact of catalysis on everyday life and explores innovative electric catalytic processes that could revolutionize chemical production, reduce carbon emissions, and address global challenges, inspiring a new generation to embrace science.

Takeaways
  • 🌟 Ammonia is a crucial chemical compound made up of three hydrogen atoms and one nitrogen atom, essential for producing fertilizers and enabling large-scale food production.
  • 🌱 Without the ability to produce ammonia, half of the world’s population would not be able to exist due to the lack of sufficient food production.
  • 👩‍🔬 The speaker's interest in chemistry was sparked by a magazine cover featuring a woman chemist, which influenced her career choice in chemical engineering.
  • 🎓 The speaker pursued her PhD in chemical engineering in the United States, specializing in catalysis, and became the first female chemical engineering professor at Ohio State.
  • 🔬 Catalysis is a process where a catalyst accelerates a reaction rate without being consumed, playing a vital role in various industrial processes.
  • 🚗 Catalytic converters in cars are an example of catalysis, helping to reduce air pollution by converting harmful exhaust emissions.
  • 🔋 Electric catalysis is a form of catalysis where electron transfer between chemicals occurs through an electrical circuit, allowing for direct conversion of chemical energy to electricity.
  • 💡 Fuel cells operate on the principle of electric catalysis, generating electricity through the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and can also be reversed to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • 🌐 The Haber-Bosch process, developed over a century ago, is the primary method for ammonia production, but it is energy-intensive and reliant on fossil fuels.
  • 🌳 The world's ammonia production contributes significantly to carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting the need for more sustainable processes.
  • 🌱 Electric catalysis offers potential solutions for producing chemicals like ammonia and ethylene more sustainably, using renewable energy and improving process efficiency.
Q & A
  • What is the significance of ammonia in sustaining the world's population?

    -Ammonia is crucial for the production of fertilizers, which are essential for enriching soil and growing crops. Without the ability to produce ammonia, we would not be able to produce crops at the current scale, potentially leading to the starvation of half of the world's population.

  • What was the speaker's first memory related to chemistry and how might it have influenced her career choice?

    -The speaker's first memory related to chemistry was seeing a magazine cover depicting a pristine chemistry lab with a female chemist in a white lab coat conducting experiments. Although she had never seen a lab like that in person, the image stayed with her and may have played a role in her decision to pursue chemical engineering.

  • What is catalysis and how does it relate to the chemical reactions mentioned in the script?

    -Catalysis is a process that uses catalysts to accelerate the rate of a reaction without the catalyst itself being consumed. In the script, catalysis is used to illustrate the conversion of water and carbon monoxide into hydrogen and carbon dioxide on the surface of a catalyst.

  • How does the speaker describe the role of a catalyst in a chemical reaction?

    -The speaker describes a catalyst as a substance that speeds up a reaction rate without being used up in the process. The catalyst provides a surface where reactant molecules can attach, react, and then release products, which can repeat hundreds or thousands of times per second per site.

  • What is the connection between catalysis and everyday life products mentioned in the script?

    -The script mentions that many everyday products, such as winter coats, shoes, gasoline, antifreeze, paper, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fuel cells, and self-cleaning ovens, are produced using catalysis, highlighting the widespread impact of catalysis on daily life.

  • What is electric catalysis and how does it differ from traditional catalysis?

    -Electric catalysis is a form of catalysis where the electron transfer between chemicals occurs through an electrical circuit. Unlike traditional catalysis, electric catalysis involves the direct conversion of chemical energy to electricity, or vice versa, without the need for intermediate heat or mechanical energy steps.

  • How does a fuel cell work, as described in the script?

    -A fuel cell works by separating two half-reactions with an electrolyte barrier. Hydrogen molecules are converted to protons and electrons at one electrode (the anode), while oxygen, protons, and electrons react to form water at the other electrode (the cathode). The electrons flow through an external circuit, generating electricity.

  • What is the Haber-Bosch process and why is it significant in the context of ammonia production?

    -The Haber-Bosch process is a method for producing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen under high pressure and temperature. Developed during World War One, it is significant because it is the primary industrial process for ammonia synthesis, but it is also fossil fuel-dependent and contributes to carbon dioxide emissions.

  • Why is the current ammonia production process through the Haber-Bosch method considered outdated and in need of innovation?

    -The Haber-Bosch method is considered outdated because it requires high pressures and temperatures, uses pure hydrogen, and is entirely dependent on fossil fuels. It also contributes significantly to carbon dioxide emissions, which is a concern for sustainability and global warming mitigation.

  • How does the speaker propose to improve ammonia production using electric catalysis?

    -The speaker suggests using electric catalysis to produce ammonia by using water as the source of hydrogen, separating it into protons and oxide ions. The oxide ions are transferred to another electrode to produce a pure oxygen stream, while the protons react with nitrogen to form ammonia, eliminating the need for pure hydrogen and reducing carbon emissions.

  • What are some other applications of electric catalysis mentioned by the speaker?

    -Other applications of electric catalysis mentioned by the speaker include converting natural gas to ethylene, which is a valuable building block for producing polymers and synthetic rubber, and converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into fuels or other value-added chemicals.

Outlines
00:00
🌱 The Significance of Ammonia in Agriculture

This paragraph introduces the vital role of ammonia in sustaining global food production. Ammonia, a molecule composed of hydrogen and nitrogen, is essential for creating fertilizers that replenish nitrogen in the soil, enabling large-scale crop cultivation. Without the ability to produce ammonia, the world's population would face severe food shortages. The speaker's personal journey in chemical engineering is also introduced, highlighting her background and her passion for the field, which began with an inspiring image of a female chemist in a lab.

05:00
🔋 Understanding Catalysis and Electric Catalysis

The speaker delves into the concept of catalysis, defining a catalyst as a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed. Catalysis is then exemplified with a cartoon, illustrating how water and carbon monoxide react on a catalyst's surface to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The paragraph also introduces electric catalysis, a process that involves electron transfer through an electrical circuit, and is used in applications such as fuel cells, where chemical energy is directly converted into electricity.

10:01
🚀 Innovations in Electric Catalysis for Sustainable Chemistry

The paragraph discusses the limitations of traditional chemical production processes, such as the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis, which is energy-intensive and fossil fuel-dependent. The speaker advocates for new technologies that use electric catalysis to produce chemicals more efficiently and sustainably, reducing reliance on outdated methods. Examples include using electric catalysis to produce ammonia from water and nitrogen, converting natural gas to ethylene, and capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to create value-added chemicals.

15:01
📚 Inspiring the Next Generation in Science

The final paragraph concludes the speaker's presentation by emphasizing the importance of science in solving global challenges. She shares her personal experience of being inspired by a chemistry lab image as a child and encourages sparking curiosity in young minds. The speaker also expresses gratitude to Matt Fury for preparing the presentation slides and invites the audience to view a picture of her actual lab, providing a tangible connection to her work and research.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound composed of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms (NH3). It is crucial for the production of fertilizers, which are essential for replenishing nitrogen in the soil to grow food. The script emphasizes that without ammonia, we would not be able to produce crops at the current scale, leading to starvation for half of the world's population. This highlights ammonia's critical role in sustaining life and food production.
💡Catalyst
A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. In the context of the video, catalysts are used to accelerate reactions, such as the production of fertilizers and other chemicals. The script illustrates this with a cartoon example of water and carbon monoxide reacting on a catalyst surface to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide, demonstrating the fundamental role of catalysts in chemical processes.
💡Catalysis
Catalysis refers to the process in which a catalyst is used to increase the rate of a chemical reaction. The video script explains catalysis through the example of a catalytic cycle, where water and carbon monoxide molecules attach to a catalyst surface, react, and produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This concept is central to the video's theme of chemical engineering and its applications in everyday life.
💡Heterogeneous Catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis is a type of catalysis where the catalyst and the reactants are in different phases, typically solid catalysts with gaseous or liquid reactants. The script mentions the speaker's research on this field, emphasizing its importance in chemical engineering. This type of catalysis is crucial for various industrial processes, including the production of ammonia.
💡Electric Catalysis
Electric catalysis is a form of catalysis where electron transfer between chemicals occurs through an electrical circuit. The script describes this process using the example of a hydrogen-oxygen reaction to form water, where electrons flow through an external circuit to generate electricity. This concept is significant in the video as it introduces a more efficient and sustainable approach to energy conversion and chemical production.
💡Fuel Cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly into electricity through a chemical reaction, typically involving hydrogen and oxygen. The script explains how a fuel cell works by separating hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons, with the electrons flowing through an external circuit to produce electricity. This technology is highlighted as a way to harness chemical energy more efficiently.
💡Haber-Bosch Process
The Haber-Bosch process is an industrial method for producing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen under high pressure and temperature. Mentioned in the script, this process is significant as it is the primary method for ammonia production, but it is also criticized for its high energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting the need for more sustainable alternatives.
💡Renewable Energy
Renewable energy refers to energy sources that can be replenished naturally and sustainably, such as solar, wind, and hydro power. The script discusses the need to move away from fossil fuel-dependent processes like the Haber-Bosch process towards technologies that rely on renewable energy. This shift is crucial for mitigating global warming and achieving a sustainable future.
💡Ethylene
Ethylene is a hydrocarbon (C2H4) used as a building block in the production of various polymers, plastics, and synthetic rubber. The script mentions the potential of electric catalysis to convert natural gas into ethylene, highlighting a more efficient use of natural gas and the potential for creating valuable chemicals from abundant resources.
💡Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The script discusses the possibility of using electric catalysis to convert CO2 directly from the atmosphere into fuels or other value-added chemicals. This approach represents an innovative solution to both utilize a major greenhouse gas and produce useful products.
💡Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the design, construction, and operation of processes that convert raw materials into useful products. The script emphasizes the speaker's journey from Turkey to the United States to become a chemical engineer, specializing in catalysis. This field is central to the video's narrative as it underpins the development of technologies and processes that impact society and the environment.
Highlights

Ammonia is crucial for producing fertilizers and putting nitrogen back into the soil to grow food.

Without ammonia production, half of the world’s population would starve due to the inability to produce crops at the current scale.

The speaker’s first memory of chemistry was inspired by a magazine cover showing a chemistry lab.

The speaker chose chemical engineering as a career, influenced by her natural curiosity and love of learning.

She became the first female chemical engineering professor at Ohio State in the early to mid-eighties.

Her research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis and electric catalysis, fields heavily reliant on chemistry.

A catalyst is a substance that accelerates a reaction rate without being consumed in the reaction.

Catalysis is used in everyday life, from producing winter coats and shoes to gasoline and catalytic converters in cars.

Electric catalysis is a form of catalysis where electron transfer between chemicals occurs through an electrical circuit.

Fuel cells can convert chemical energy directly to electricity, avoiding energy losses associated with heat and mechanical energy.

The Haber-Bosch process, developed during World War One, is used for ammonia production but is fossil fuel dependent and emits significant CO2.

World ammonia production accounts for over 2% of the world’s energy supply and emits 2-3 kg of CO2 per kg of ammonia produced.

New technologies are needed to sustain the world's growing population while mitigating global warming.

Electric catalysis offers solutions for making chemicals more efficiently and sustainably.

The speaker's research group is working on an electric catalytic process for ammonia production using water instead of pure hydrogen.

Electric catalysis can be used to convert natural gas to ethylene, a valuable building block for producing polymers and synthetic rubber.

Carbon dioxide can be captured from the atmosphere and converted into fuels or other value-added chemicals using electric catalysis.

Science, particularly electric catalysis, offers solutions to the world's most challenging problems.

Inspiring young children about science and sparking their natural curiosity is crucial for the future of scientific advancement.

Transcripts
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