Dr. Tolulope Salami has been selected as a Princeton University Visiting Research Scholar (summer 2022) as part of the Visiting Research Faculty Partnership program and will be conducting research over the summer at the department of Chemistry, Princeton University. He will work on the proposal titled “CYANOGELS AS A PLATFORM FOR SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL CATALYSTS FOR CO2 REDUCTION” in collaboration with Dr. Bocarsly of Princeton University. The use of fossil fuels for energy production has led to an ever-increasing amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Thus, prompting the development of processes that can remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Several methods such as electrochemical and photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction have been utilized.
The Bocarsly Research Group over many years has studied the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to various products. Metal alloys and complexes are known to electrochemically reduce CO2 to less harmful substances. Recently a group of metal alloy films on glassy carbon were reported to successfully reduce CO2 to oxalate and C3 compounds (propanol and acetone). The proposed project in the Bocarsly group during the summer will involve using cyanogels to synthesize metal alloys with large surface and porous architecture, with the potential of improved CO2 reduction.
Dr. Salami will be accompanied by two Valdosta State University Chemistry majors, Jayden Thomas and Jodeci L. Mitchel. The students will receive sponsorship through the prestigious Leadership Alliance Summer Research -Early Identification Program (SR-EIP).
Dr. Tolulope Salami is a professor in the Chemistry department at Valdosta State University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Inorganic and Material Chemistry from Binghamton University (State University of New York at Binghamton), Binghamton, NY. Dr. Salami’s research interests are in material science, inorganic chemistry, natural products, and chemical education. His current focus is on porous materials with cationic and anionic hosts that can be used in sensor applications and drug delivery. Another area of interest is in the purification and characterization of bioactive compounds from natural products. Dr. Salami has also worked extensively in chemical education research, specifically in the development of project-based upper-level chemistry laboratories and the development of new strategies for improved instruction.
