Kevin C. Leonard

Associate Professor Kevin C. Leonard's research focuses on experimental and data-driven approaches to elucidate electrocatalytic transformation mechanisms on heterogeneous surfaces. Chemical and fuel production is undergoing a transition from petrochemical-based systems to more sustainable technologies centered on emerging feedstocks and renewable energy. Electrocatalysis is a promising method for converting feedstocks such as water and CO2 because electricity produced from solar panels or wind farms can power these chemical transformations. Thus, the motivation for Prof. Leonard's research is to advance our fundamental understanding to design new electrocatalytic systems to improve the efficiency of and reduce emissions associated with fuel and chemical production. Specifically, ongoing projects include:
1. New reaction medium to intensify electrocatalytic reaction rates.
2. Catalyst development to produce value-added products utilizing water and CO2 as feedstocks.
3. In-situ nano-scale characterization equipment development (Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy).
4.Applying artificial intelligence applications to catalysis.