CAREER: Strain Engineered Mixed Ionic Electronic Conducting Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode Catalysts

1254453尼古拉斯，杰森d。燃料电池是一种电化学装置，用于将储存在燃料化学键中的能量转化为电能和/或热量。固体氧化物燃料电池（sofc）的效率为60-85%，是碳氢化合物基发电技术中最高的，它通过允许氧离子通过电子绝缘固体膜来实现这一目标；在这个过程中，通过外部电路迫使氧电子绕过薄膜，从而产生电能。通过以这种方式电化学氧化燃料而不是燃烧燃料，sofc的热电联产效率是传统化石燃料发电厂的两倍多。与其他类型只能使用氢的燃料电池不同，sofc可以使用多种燃料，如氢、沼气、汽油、天然气、航空燃料和甲烷。sofc既可以使用碳氢燃料，也可以使用氢燃料，为什么sofc没有成为主要的能源转换解决方案？SOFC商业化的两个最令人生畏的障碍是：1)缺乏在低于600℃的工作温度下具有理想表面性能的SOFC电极催化剂材料；2)缺乏催化活性、高导电性、氧化还原稳定性、抗焦化、耐硫的SOFC阳极材料，这些材料将使SOFC能够在干燥的、商业上广泛使用的碳氢化合物燃料上运行。密歇根州立大学的杰森·尼古拉斯教授认为，可用的材料池可能已经包含了那些能完成这项工作的材料，包括混合离子导电镧锶铬氧化镁。美国国家科学基金会将教师早期职业发展（Career）计划奖授予Nicholas，以系统地评估这些混合离子氧化物的必要表面性质、催化活性和选择性可以通过外部双轴应力的应用来增强的假设。虽然最初将研究薄膜催化剂，但PI打算通过一些标准方法制造和阐明含有应变工程催化剂的纳米复合SOFC阳极的行为。此外，研究人员将开发一种新的曲率松弛测量技术，该技术将允许在原位和操作中进行氧表面交换测量，而不会产生电极引起的扭曲，从而获得以前无法获得的数据。该研究首次系统地阐明了SOFC阳极电催化剂中应力、结构、电化学性能、温度和氧分压之间的完整关系，将推动催化领域的发展。研究者计划了一个广泛的教育推广活动计划，作为职业奖的一个特点，扩展到高中生，本科生和教师。一项具体的活动将是为密歇根州中部的女童子军提供一年一度的密歇根州立大学访问日，旨在向K-12的女孩介绍科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科。

1254453Nicholas, Jason D.Fuels cells are electrochemical devices used to convert the energy stored within the chemical bonds of the fuel into electrical energy and/or heat. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), which have efficiencies of 60-85%, highest of the hydrocarbon-based electricity production technologies, achieve this by allowing oxygen ions to pass through an electronically insulating solid membrane; and in the process producing electricity by forcing the oxygen electrons to circumvent the membrane via an external circuit. By electrochemically oxidizing fuel in this manner instead of combusting it, SOFCs have demonstrated combined heat and power efficiencies more than twice those obtained in conventional fossil fuel-fed power plants. Unlike other types of fuel cells that can only run on hydrogen, SOFCs can operate on a variety of fuels such as hydrogen, biogas, gasoline, natural gas, jet fuel, and methane.With their ability to run on both hydrocarbon and hydrogen fuels, why have SOFCs not become a primary energy conversion solution? Two of the most daunting obstacles to SOFC commercialization are 1) a lack of SOFC electrode catalyst materials with desirable surface properties at operating temperatures less than 600C, and 2) a lack of catalytically active, high conductivity, redox stable, coking resistant, sulfur tolerant, SOFC anode materials which will allow SOFCs to operate on dry, commercially-widespread hydrocarbon fuels. Professor Jason Nicholas of Michigan State University believes that the pool of available materials may already contain those which will do the job, including mixed ionic electronic-conducting lanthanum strontium chromium magnesium oxides. The National Science Foundation is awarding the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program Award to Nicholas to systematically evaluate the hypothesis that the necessary surface properties and the catalytic activity and selectivity of these mixed ionic oxides can be enhanced through the application of an external biaxial stress. Although thin film catalysts will initially be studied, the PI intends to fabricate and elucidate the behavior of nanocomposite SOFC anodes containing strain engineered catalysts by a number of standard methods. In addition, the investigator will develop a novel curvature relaxation measurement technique which will allow oxygen surface exchange measurements to be performed in situ and in operando without the distortions caused by electrodes, yielding data not previously available.The proposed work will advance the field of catalysis by systematically elucidating, for the first time, the full relationship between stress, structure, electrochemical properties, temperature, and oxygen partial pressure in a SOFC anode electrocatalyst. The investigator plans a wide program of educational outreach activities as a feature of the CAREER award, extending to high school students, undergraduates and teachers. A specific activity will be to provide mid-Michigan Girl Scouts with an annual Michigan State University visit day aimed at introducing K-12 girls to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.