Sanjeev Mukerjee

About

Dr. Sanjeev Mukerjee is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Northeastern University); where he has been since September of 1998.  He also heads the newly created center for Renewable Energy Technology at Northeastern University and its subset the Laboratory for Electrochemical Advanced Power (LEAP).  This center aims at enhancing education and research on all aspects of renewable energy and green chemistry with special emphasis on selective charge transfer at electrochemical and photo-electrochemical interfaces.  His research on charge transfer dynamics at both two- and three-dimensional electrochemical interfaces encompasses materials development, in situ synchrotron spectroscopy and electro-analytical methods.  In addition, new computational initiatives are in progress involving both molecular modeling and simulation of multiple electron scattering in the context of in situ synchrotron XANES method.  Peer reviewed publication currently number 150, with an H-factor of 59.  The current projects in the group include materials development for new electrocatalysts, polymer electrolyte membranes and high energy density (and capacity) cathode materials for aqueous and non-aqueous storage cells.  Fundamental understanding of structure property relationships is in concert with applications.

Among the seminal contributions are, the first demonstration of the power of true element specific in situ x-ray methods for understanding electrocatalysis and intercalation using synchrotron techniques of x-ray scattering and absorption.  This was further enhanced by the development of concerted simulation and subtractive methods, which further enabled a study of surface adsorbed species with unprecedented insight. These in concert with materials development on supported noble and non-noble metal nano-materials have shed important understanding of the nature of direct oxidation of complex fuels as well as oxygen reduction and evolution processes.  New efforts are underway to create novel materials for photocatalytic oxygen evolution and free radical generation.

Translational activities in concert with fundamental research have led to a partnership with De Nora, and BASF, Proton Onsite, Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Advent North America and Automotive Fuel Cell Corporation (Canada).  Federal funding comes from the Army Research Office, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research and ARPA-E.

Selected Publications

• N. Ramaswamy, S. Mukerjee, Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Challenges in Electrocatalysis and Interfacial Charge Transfer, Chemical Reviews, 119(23), 2019, 11945
• W. Wang, Q. Jia, S. Mukerjee, S. Chen Recent Insights into the Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis of Fe/N/C Materials, ACS Catalysis, 9, 2019, 10126
• E. Liu, J. Li, L. Jiao, H. Thi Thanh Doan, Z. Liu, Z. Zhao, Y. Huang, K.M. Abraham, S. Mukerjee, Q. Jia, Unifying the Hydrogen Evolution and Oxidation Reactions Kinetics in Base by Identifying the Catalytic Roles of Hydroxyl-Water-Cation, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 141(7), 2019, 3232-3239
• Q. Jia, E. Liu, J. Li, S. Pann, S. Mukerjee, X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Characterizations on PGM‐Free Electrocatalysts: Justification, Advantages, and Limitations, Advanced Materials, 31(31), 2019, 1805157

Students

Jun 10, 2021

Nature Materials Article on PGM-free Catalyst for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

Li Jiao, PhD’21, chemical engineering, currently working in Affiliated Faculty Sanjeev Mukerjee’s research group, was published in Nature Materials for “Chemical vapour deposition of Fe–N–C oxygen reduction catalysts with full utilization of dense Fe–N4 sites,” developing a model catalyst with scientific breakthroughs and practical significance.

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