Long-term stability of Catalysts

CBET-0853935富勒的智力价值在过去的十年中，在燃料电池、热电发电机、电池和超级电容器等能量转换和存储设备方面取得了显着的进步。预计这些将在满足我们的能源需求方面发挥越来越大的作用。在很大程度上，进展是由于纳米级结构的制造：用于氧还原的改进的电催化剂，低维热电材料，以及用于先进可充电电池的高导电性橄榄石材料。为了使这些设备能够应对能源挑战，它们必须是可负担的，其中一个关键方面是它们在使用中的长期稳定性，这是纳米结构的一个基本问题。格鲁吉亚理工学院将研究材料的结构和功能，并使用基于物理的建模来阐明纳米级催化剂的老化机制。有关纳米尺寸的颗粒的表面能的基本问题将得到解决，并将结果整合到基于物理学的模型的催化剂老化。从详细的机械故障机制的理解，工作的更广泛的目标是指导新材料的开发，并确定战略，以减轻这些故障模式在整个系统。更广泛的影响世界上的车辆数量接近10亿，这些贡献了约20%的人为二氧化碳排放量。更重要的是，几乎所有这些车辆都是以石油为动力的。燃料电池和先进的锂电池作为未来的电源显示出巨大的前景。两者都需要具有纳米尺寸特征的电极来改善动力学，但其结构也可能不稳定。因此，成本和耐用性是这些技术在商业上广泛使用之前必须消除的障碍。将开发一个系统的框架，以严格考虑电化学系统的耐久性，可以推广到老化的催化剂和其他纳米级的设备。该计划将提供研究生培训，并促进与行业的广泛互动。除了通过出版物和介绍传播这项拟议研究的结果外，还将教育和外联活动纳入该项目。外联活动将通过LEAD计划为BERMERS ®，与莫尔豪斯学院和当地高中的夏季课程与代表性不足和低收入学生的比例很高。

CBET-0853935FullerIntellectual meritsRemarkable advances have been made over the last decade in energy conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells, thermoelectric generators, batteries, and super-capacitors. These are expected to play an ever-growing role in meeting our energy needs. In large part, progress is due to fabrication of structures at the nano-scale: improved electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction, low-dimensional thermoelectric materials, and highly conductive olivine materials used in advanced rechargeable batteries for instance. In order for these devices to impact the energy challenge, they must be affordable-a critical aspect of which is their long-term stability in service-a fundamental issue for nanostructures. Georgia Institute of Technology will investigate the structure and function of materials and use physics-based modeling to elucidate the ageing mechanisms of nanoscale catalysts. Fundamental questions about the surface energy of nanometer sized particles will be addressed and the results integrated into physics-based models of catalyst ageing. From a detailed mechanistic understanding of failure mechanisms, the broader objectives of the work are to guide the development of new materials and to identify strategies to mitigate these failure modes in full systems.Broader ImpactThe number of vehicles in the world is approaching 1 billion, and these contribute about 20 percent of the anthropogenic emissions of CO2. What's more, nearly all of these vehicles are powered with petroleum. Fuel cells and advanced lithium batteries show great promise as a future power sources. Both require electrodes with features with nanometer dimensions to improve kinetics, but whose structures can also be unstable. As a result of this, cost and durability are barriers that must be eliminated before these technologies are found in wide use commercially. A systematic framework will be developed to rigorously account for durability of electrochemical systems that can be generalized to ageing of catalysts and to other nano-scale devices. The program will provide graduate training and promote extensive interaction with industry. In addition to disseminating the results of this proposed research through publications and presentations, educational and outreach activities are integrated into the project. Outreach will be done through the LEAD program for ENGINEERS®, summer programs with Morehouse College and local high schools with a high percentage of under-representative and low income students.