Charles McCrory

The electrochemical interconversion of small molecules containing C, O, N, and H is at the core of energy and environmental chemistry. Research in the McCrory Lab generally focuses on using careful electroanalytical studies to elucidate the mechanism of electrocatalytic systems, then using this mechanistic understanding to inform the rational design of next-generation catalyst materials. We are broadly interested in the electrochemical interconversion of small molecules to upcycle industrial waste molecules such as CO₂ and NO₃^- into valuable fuels and chemical feedstocks.

In the McCrory group, our general research approach is to develop enabling technologies that allow for the careful study and control of electrocatalytic processes with an emphasis on kinetic and mechanistic analysis, and to use these approaches to address fundamental challenges in the electrochemical conversion of small molecules by solid-state and molecular catalysts. We use a combination of surface science and electrochemistry to directly observe reactive intermediates in the catalytic pathway in model systems and then use these mechanistic findings to develop new, efficient electrocatalytic materials.

Selected Recent Awards(s)

• John Dewey Award, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, 2025
• Imes and Moore Mentorship Award, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, 2025
• LSA LEAD Fellow, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, 2024
• DOE Early Career Research Program Award, Office of Basic Science, 2021-2026
• Cottrell Scholars Award, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, 2019-2022
• NSF Career Award, Chemistry Division, Chemical Catalysis Program, 2018-2023
• Dow Corning Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 2017-2020

Recent Publications

Selective Electrochemical Reduction of CO₂ to Metal Oxalates in Nonaqueous Solutions Using Trace Metal Pb on Carbon Supports Enhanced by a Tailored Microenvironment
Brower, R. S.; Wuille Bille, B.; Chiu, S.; Perryman, J. T.; Yao, L.; Agboola, F. O.; Nagasaka, C. A.; Xia, Y.; Gomez-Caballero, R.; Kumari, A.; Neumann, E. K.; Alexandrova, A. N.; McCrory, C. C. L.; Ve W.-X.; McCrory, C. C. L., Velázquez, J. M.  Advanced Energy Materials, Early View.

The Influence of Exogenous Amines on the Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction Activity of a Cobalt Pyridyldiimine Catalyst
Verma, P. K.; McCrory, C. C. L.  Chemical Communications, 2024, 60, 8039-8042.

Mitigating Cobalt Phthalocyanine Aggregation in Electrocatalyst Films through Codeposition with an Axially Coordinating Polymer
Dean, W. S.; Soucy, T. L.; Rivera-Cruz, K. E.; Filien, L. L.; Terry, B. D.; McCrory, C. C. L. Small, 2024, 2402293.

Bimetallic Molecular Co-Co and Co-Zn Complexes for Electrocataltyic CO₂ Reduction: Understanding the Interrelated Effects of Intramolecular Electrostatics and Electronic Coupling on Activity
Zhou, J.; Nie, W.-X.; Tarnopol, D. E.; McCrory, C. C. L. Chem Catalysis, 2024, 4, 101006.

Selective Reduction of Aqueous Nitrate to Ammonia with an Electropolymerized Chromium Molecular Catalyst
Askari, M. J.; Kallick, J. D.; McCrory, C. C. L. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2024, 146, 7439-7455.

Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction to Methanol by Cobalt Phthalocyanine: Quantifying CO₂ and CO Binding Strengths and Their Influence on Methanol Production
Yao, L.; Rivera-Cruz, K. E.; Zimmerman, P. M.; Singh, N.; McCrory, C. C. L. ACS Catalysis, 2024, 14, 366-372.

Challenges and Opportunities in Translating Immobilized Molecular Catalysts for Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction from Aqueous-Phase Batch Cells to Gas-Fed Flow Electrolyzers
Yao, L.; Rivera-Cruz, K. E.; Singh, N.; McCrory, C. C. L. Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2023, 41, 101362.

The Influence of pH and Electrolyte Concentration on Fractional Protonation and CO2 Reduction Activity in Polymer-Encapsulated Cobalt Phthalocyanine
Soucy, T. L.; Dean, W. S.; Rivera-Cruz, K. E.; Eisenberg, J. B.; McCrory, C. C. L. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2023, 127, 14041-14052.

Translating Catalyst-Polymer Composites from Liquid to Gas-fed CO₂ Electrolysis: A CoPc-P4VP Case Study
Yao, L; Yin, C; Rivera-Cruz, K. E.; McCrory, C. C. L.; Singh, N. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2023, 15, 31438-31448.

Electrochemical Oxidation of Primary Alcohols using a Co₂NiO₄ Catalyst: Effects of Alcohol Identity and Electrochemical Bias on Product Distribution
Michaud, S. E.; Barber, M. M.; Rivera-Cruz, K. E.; McCrory, C. C. L. ACS Catalysis, 2023, 13, 515-529.