Quinn Padovan and Caden Kuster are undergraduate researchers working in the chemistry department at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno. Funded by the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Undergraduate Research Award (NURA) and the NV NASA Space Grant, they work under principal investigator Christopher Barile, the Clemons-Magee Endowed Professor in Chemistry in the College of Science. The primary interests of the student researchers are the creation of large-scale electrochemical reduction reactors and novel non-precious metallic catalysts for the selective reduction of carbon dioxide.
Kuster and Padovan have been working together for several years. Before studying at the University, they attended the same high school graduating as valedictorian and salutatorian respectively. Shortly after high school graduation, they started working together again in an inorganic chemistry and materials science laboratory headed by Barile. Kuster, being a mechanical engineer with a renewable resources minor, and Padovan, majoring in chemistry with a professional emphasis, were uniquely situated to combine their knowledge in the Barile Laboratory at the University.
“Dr. Barile has been an excellent mentor, providing all the resources needed for our success,” Kuster said.
Because of their longstanding friendship – enjoying time outdoors and snow skiing together – the students are able to collaborate and complement each other's strengths. The overall goal of their research is to transform the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into usable chemical feedstocks like alcohols such as ethanol and methanol. These chemicals can then be used in partially sustainable fuels or biofuels to power everything from commercial vehicles to massive cargo ships.
Throughout two years of research, they have participated in projects focused on the application of fluoropolymers in catalysis, construction of large-scale reduction reactors, construction of small-scale membrane electrode assemblies, creation of gas diffusion electrodes, the use of selective adsorbent modified-organic frameworks, and self-assembled monolayer catalysis.
Padovan and Kuster are strongly motivated to fight climate change, and have a desire to minimize the carbon footprint within society. They believe that many different solutions need to be implemented to create a sizable impact in reducing carbon emissions and capturing existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They love that their research is applicable to the real world and could someday actually be implemented to help environmental issues.
“In our research, we are helping combat climate change by turning harmful gasses into useful fuels,” Padovan said. “It’s great that we have this opportunity to make an impact with our research for something that is so important across the globe.”
Barile has experience with implementing lab-created technology into real world products like Tynt Technologies, which he helped create during his postdoctoral studies. The Barile Group investigates the reversible electrodeposited windows as one of their primary research focuses.
Padovan and Kuster encourage other students to reach out to professors early to gain research experience.
“Discouraged students may think they cannot gain entry to a research laboratory without extensive lab experience or prerequisite classes,” Padovan said. “Many research groups are more than happy to hire freshman and sophomore students who are willing to learn.”
The research duo has been awarded the NURA three times, and they have presented at the Wolf Pack Discoveries Symposium twice.
“Becoming a researcher is more than just lab work – there’s reading and then there’s more reading, and finally polishing everything up in written articles and oral presentations,” Kuster said.
