Topic: Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain Using Carbon Dioxide and Water for Reaching Carbon Neutrality

Speaker: Prof. Chunshan Song

Date: Monday, April 15, 2024

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Venue: Room W201, Administration Building

Language: English

Host: Prof. Benzhong Tang, Dean of SSE

Abstract:

Global societies still rely heavily on carbon-based primary energy (~80%) from the fossil hydrocarbon resources (natural gas, petroleum, coal) and natural resources (biomass, wood) for the transportation and industrial manufacturing along with residential and commercial heating. Reaching carbon neutrality with net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has become globally important in the 21st century but still very challenging. On the other hand, if we could develop chemicals, fuels, organic and inorganic materials from CO2 and water (H2O) using renewable energy such as solar and wind energy, we may be able to create a new, green and sustainable supply chain that allows the global societies to continue economic development based on the fuels, chemicals and materials all made from CO2 and H2O with renewable energy while reaching carbon neutrality. We will discuss the capture and separation of CO2 using novel approaches (including solid “molecular basket” sorbents) and chemical conversion of CO2 based on catalysis and non-thermal plasma catalysis and outline the progress through research and pilot-scale development by our laboratory since 1990s and related R&D efforts by numerous organizations worldwide.

Speaker Profile:

Professor Chunshan Song is the Dean of Science and Wei Lun Professor of Chemistry at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Fuel Science and Chemical Engineering, the former Director of EMS Energy Institute and former Associate Director of Institutes of Energy and the Environment at the Pennsylvania State University where he was the founding Director of the University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research. He received his BSc in Chemical Engineering from Dalian University of Technology, MSc and PhD in Applied Chemistry from Osaka University.

His research focuses on catalysis and chemistry of energy and fuels including CO2 capture and utilization, energy conversion, hydrocarbon processing, shape-selective catalysis, synthesis of nano-porous materials for adsorptive and catalytic applications. He has published over 500 referred journal articles, 16 edited books, 33 book chapters and has invented 8 patents.

He has been named on the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University on the career-long list and on the single-year list, and has been among the Top 50 Most Cited Scientists in the sub-field of energy research worldwide. He is the recipient of numerous award and honors, such as George A. Olah Award and Henry H. Storch Award, ACS Fellow, Distinguished Fulbright Scholar Award (US-UK), Outstanding Achievement Award from the CACS, ACS Energy & Fuels Division Distinguished Researcher Award, Herman Pines Award from Catalysis Club of Chicago and Catalysis Club of Philadelphia Award. Within Penn State, he has received the Faculty Scholar Medal, Distinguished University Professor, Wilson Award for Excellence in Research, Faculty Mentoring Award, and Materials Science and Engineering Service Award.