News & Events

Transforming CO2 into Value: From Catalytic Amination to Mechanochemical Activation and Sustainable Materials

Date: 
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - 17:00 to 18:00
Speaker: 
Victoria Pfennig
Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia
Event Category: 
IMDG - Inorganic & Materials Discussion Group
Host: 
Schafer Group
Location: 
Chemistry D300

Abstract:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an abundant and renewable C1 source that can be transformed into high-value chemical products. In collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT, Germany), the Schafer group is developing catalytic strategies that directly fix CO2 into valuable amine intermediates. By combining CO2-based N-methylation with hydroaminoalkylation, we enable access to selectively substituted amines relevant to pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials. Recent work extends this chemistry toward terpenoid-derived, aminated monomers as precursors for functional polyamines, bridging catalysis and materials science. In previous work, CO2 utilization through mechanochemical routes was developed for the activation and incorporation of CO2 under solvent-free conditions. Together, these studies highlight complementary strategies—catalytic and mechanochemical—for turning CO2 from a waste product into a versatile building block for sustainable synthesis and advanced materials.