Chemistry of Energy Conversion
With global energy use on the rise, it is essential to understand the different energy systems that are currently in place and how they can, or in many cases, cannot meet the world’s future energy demands in a sustainable manner. In this course we will begin with a brief overview on the energy sources themselves: potential energy (hydro), kinetic energy (wind, tidal), thermal energy (geothermal, ocean thermal), radiant energy (solar), chemical energy (oil, coal, gas, biomass), and nuclear energy (uranium, thorium). Once we understand the energy sources, we will apply the tools of inorganic chemistry (simple bonding, symmetry, transition metal chemistry, ligand field theory, and thermodynamics) to explore the larger topic of energy conversion. We will examine how chemistry provides an incredible opportunity when it comes to understanding energy conversion by approaching the problem from the atomic level all the way up to the empirical macroscopic world. Although the path to sustainable energy will be examined primarily through the lens of chemistry, our learning will be placed in the context of political, social economic and environmental goals, which strongly influence future energy production. (CHEM 104 or CHEM 107)