# CAS-SC: Controlling First and Second Coordination Shells of Earth-abundant Metals to Tune Activity and Stability for Acidic Water Oxidation

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Northwestern University (IL) · $675,000

## Abstract

With funding support from the Chemical Catalysis program of the Division of Chemistry, Professors Linsey Seitz and Jeffrey Lopez at Northwestern University are investigating fundamental chemistry toward improved hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting. Hydrogen gas is an important energy carrier and industrial chemical with increasing demand. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a favorable process for hydrogen production as it has a compact design, minimizes energy losses, and can produce hydrogen at high pressure and purity. However, this technology is expensive, largely due to high loadings of costly platinum group metal (PGM) needed for the process. Widespread PEMWE deployment has not yet been fully realized largely because the development of a commercially viable, stable, and energy-efficient water oxidation catalyst has remained a challenge for decades. The overarching goal of this proposal is to develop and understand the molecular-scale chemistry of inexpensive catalysts that efficiently and durably drive electrochemical water oxidation in PEMWE. This goal will be achieved by designing and implementing advanced automated and experimental probes to characterize catalyst materials under realistic operating conditions in parallel with evaluation of quantitative metrics for structure/performance relationships. Regular meetings with an Industrial Advisory Board will enable critical feedback and guidance to ensure the industrial relevance o

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2452791
- **Awardee organization:** Northwestern University (IL)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** EXZVPWZBLUE8
- **PI:** Linsey Seitz
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** SusChEM, CAS-Critical Aspects of Sustainability
- **Estimated total:** $675,000
- **Funds obligated:** $675,000
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2452791

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2452791, CAS-SC: Controlling First and Second Coordination Shells of Earth-abundant Metals to Tune Activity and Stability for Acidic Water Oxidation. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-07 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2452791. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NSF Awards dataset](/datasets/nsf-awards) · CC0 1.0*