The lecture begins at 13:13.

There is a significant carbon footprint behind the physical world, including the fabrics we wear, the foods we eat, and the disinfectants we spray. This problem presents the need to find ways to synthesize chemicals and materials in a sustainable manner that eliminates greenhouse gas emissions from these products. In this lecture, Manthiram will discuss how his lab is developing an approach that uses electricity to convert air and water into the useful chemicals and materials we rely on every day.

About the speaker:

Manthiram earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Stanford and a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from UC Berkeley. He first came to Caltech as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of the late Nobel laureate, Bob Grubbs, who was the Victor and Elizabeth Atkins Professor of Chemistry. After starting his own lab at MIT in 2017, Manthiram returned to Caltech to join the faculty in 2021. His research interests are focused on creating electrically powered catalysts that use nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide, and water as sustainable inputs for chemical synthesis.

For more information about Dr. Manthiram's research: https://manthiramlab.com/

About the Series:

Since 1922, The Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series has brought Caltech's most innovative scientific research to the public.

The series is named for Earnest C. Watson, a professor of physics at Caltech from 1919 until 1959. Spotlighting a small selection of the pioneering research Caltech's faculty is currently conducting, the Watson Lectures are geared toward a general audience, as part of the Institute's ongoing commitment to benefiting the local community through education and outreach. Through a gift from the estate of Richard C. Biedebach, the lecture series is able to highlight assistant professors' research each season.

Caltech's 20222023 Watson Lectures are being presented virtually and can be viewed on Caltech's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/Caltech_Watson_Lectures

For more information on the Watson Lecture Series: https://caltech.edu/watson

Produced in association with Caltech Academic Media Technologies.
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