It has been reasonably established that catalytic chemical oxidation and electrochemical oxidation are not fundamentally different or unrelated processes. Rather, they appear to be different manifestations of the same underlying electrochemical mechanism. In this context, the project aims to develop a more unified framework for comparing chemical and electrochemical oxidation pathways, building on the work conducted by previous students. The selected candidate will be expected to extend this research and rigorously investigate the equivalence between chemical and electrochemical oxidation mechanisms, particularly in non-aqueous systems.

A key focus will be on understanding the role of dopants and poisons in modulating these pathways. At a later stage, the project may also involve the synthesis of nanoparticulate catalysts. While prior experience in electrochemistry is not mandatory, the student should possess a strong interest in analytical electrochemistry and detailed analysis of current–voltage behavior and reaction mechanisms. The project is experimental in nature with a small degree of modelling.

(1) Chauhan, N. L.; Dameera, V.; Juvekar, V. A.; Mahajani, S. M.; Suresh, A. K.; Sarkar, A. Correlation of Chemical and Electrochemical Catalysis-Importance of Half Reactions: The Case of Catalytic Oxidation of Ferrous Sulfate by Molecular Oxygen. Journal of The Electrochemical Society 2018, 165 (5), H196–H204.

(2) Chauhan, N. L.; Juvekar, V. A.; Sarkar, A. Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol: Unity of Chemical and Electrochemical Catalysis. Electrochemical Science Advances 2022, 2 (6), e2100092.