Inorganic chemistry professor. My group focuses on developing and understanding new molecular catalysts for renewable energy applications.
Research Interests
The Jurss Lab is an interdisciplinary research team that focuses on developing and understanding new earth-abundant catalysts for energy conversion chemistry and the selective functionalization of hydrocarbons. To address global energy concerns, we aim to store solar energy or renewable electricity in the chemical bonds of energy-rich fossil fuel alternatives, such as H2 and CH4, by coupling water oxidation to reductive half reactions (i.e. CO2 reduction). For hydrocarbon conversion, new catalysts are being developed to introduce functionality into organic molecules with unactivated C-H bonds to streamline organic synthesis. Special attention will be given to translating the reactivity of molecular inorganic systems to electrode surfaces for electrochemical and light-driven catalysis. Mechanistic studies involving proton-coupled electron transfer and electronic structure will be pursued as they relate to these goals.
Biography
Jonah W. Jurss obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from North Carolina State University and earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, he studied water oxidation catalysis with ruthenium polypyridyl complexes under the direction of Prof. Thomas J. Meyer and Prof. Joseph L. Templeton. After postdoctoral research on electrocatalytic hydrogen generation with Prof. Christopher J. Chang at the University of California, Berkeley, Jonah began his independent career at the University of Mississippi in July 2014 where his group focuses on developing and understanding new molecular catalysts for renewable energy applications and C-H bond functionalization.
Jonah Jurss CVEducation
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (2011)