The role of hydrophobic molecules in catalytic reactions
Published Date: 4/13/2021
Source: phys.org
Electrochemical processes could be used to convert CO2 into useful starting materials for industry. To optimize the processes, chemists are attempting to calculate in detail the energy costs caused by the various reaction partners and steps. Researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and Sorbonne Université in Paris have discovered how small hydrophobic molecules, such as CO2, contribute to the energy costs of such reactions by analyzing how the molecules interact in water at the interface. The team describes the results in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, published online on 13 April 2021.