New Method for Breaking Hydrogen Bonds to Form More Efficient Catalysts

Trinity DPhil student Bryan Ng has published a paper in the Journal of American Chemical Society (JACS) which reports a method to break hydrogen bonds ionically.

Hydrogen is required for the majority of fuel-forming reactions such as when carbon dioxide is reduced to methane, or reactions turning plastic to gasoline. The published research provides a new method for activation of hydrogen molecule, which will be expected to facilitate the development of more efficient fuel-forming catalysts with light.

The paper in JACS outlines the discovery of a heterolytic activation of hydrogen with ruthenium-doped metal-organic frameworks, which can pave the way for more efficient utilization of hydrogen in our energy systems with further catalyst design.

Bryan Ng is completing his DPhil in Inorganic Chemistry in Oxford’s Department of Chemistry. He says: ‘It is a pleasure for my work to be recognized by being published in one of the top journals in my field towards the end of my DPhil journey. Special thanks also go to the college for providing me a place to social and relax on top of my intense DPhil life.

‘I will be utilizing the chemistry knowledge I obtained throughout my years in Oxford (and Trinity!) to start a business as I graduate to degrade plastics atomically, aiming to solve the problem of plastic waste around the world.’