All-Electrochemical Synthesis of Nanoporous Metal Based Catalysts for Energy Applications and Environmental Pollution Remedy

美国国家科学基金会化学催化项目支持纽约州立大学宾厄姆顿分校的Nikolay Dimitrov教授设计和开发一种全电化学合成方法，该方法能够生产薄而连续的纳米多孔催化剂，具有可调的厚度和相互连接的孔隙度。合成方案包括电沉积连续单相合金膜，然后选择性氧化去除低贵金属成分（去合金化）。脱合金工艺完成了厚度小于20nm的纳米多孔金属（npm）的制备。该合成方法的成分控制可靠，加工效率高。在制备的不同阶段，通过电化学方法、STM/AFM、SEM和EDS等手段对催化剂的表面积、结构和组成进行了验证。然后，npm要么直接用作催化剂，要么用亚纳米厚的催化活性金属或合金层进行电化学功能化。该涂层采用最先进的电化学方法制成，确保在NPM基体上完整均匀地覆盖。催化剂在氧还原反应、有机燃料氧化和/或硝酸盐电还原的既定实验室测试中评估其活性和耐久性。然后在半工业环境中对最佳催化剂进行评估。来自代表性不足群体的合格本科生在研究者？美国研究小组。美国国家科学基金会化学催化项目支持纽约州立大学宾厄姆顿分校的Nikolay Dimitrov教授的努力，他提出了一种全电化学合成方法，用于制造基于纳米多孔金属的新型催化活性材料，作为能源和环境应用中最成熟的纳米颗粒催化剂的替代品。化学合成方法有时是有问题的，因为它们会产生副产物和催化活性的抑制剂，必须通过使用额外的化学品和昂贵的程序来去除。电化学制造催化剂的一个优点是它引入了更高水平的控制和环境友好的程序。这种方法依赖于通过施加电压或电流来进行金属还原，因此不需要进一步处理和/或去除不需要的化学物质或污染物。在本研究中设计和制造的催化剂将用于与燃料电池应用和环境修复相关的工业重要催化反应。研究生和本科生将学习先进的材料加工，以及化学和材料科学之间的分析和表征方法。

The NSF Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Nikolay Dimitrov at the State University of New York at Binghamton to design and develop an all-electrochemical synthetic approach that enables the production of thin and continuous nanoporous catalysts with tunable thickness and interconnected porosity. The synthetic protocols include electrodeposition of continuous single-phase alloy films followed by selective oxidative removal of the less-noble component (de-alloying). The de-alloying process completes the fabrication of nanoporous metals (NPMs) with thicknesses of less than 20 nm. The synthetic method results in reliable composition control and high processing efficiency. During different stages of the fabrication, the catalyst surface area, structure and composition are confirmed by electrochemical methods, and also by STM/AFM, SEM, and EDS. The NPMs are then either used directly as catalysts or are electrochemically functionalized with a sub-nanometer thick layer of catalytically active metals or alloys. The coating is made by state-of-the art electrochemical approaches, ensuring complete and uniform coverage over the NPM matrix. The catalysts are assessed for activity and durability in established lab tests for the oxygen reduction reaction, organic fuel oxidation, and/or nitrate electro-reduction. The best catalysts are then assessed in a semi-industrial environment. Qualified undergraduates from underrepresented groups are offered summer research activities in the investigator?s research group. The NSF Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Nikolay Dimitrov at the State University of New York at Binghamton to introduce an all-electrochemical synthetic approach for the fabrication of a new class of catalytically active materials based on nanoporous metals as an alternative to the most established nanoparticle catalysts for energy and environmental applications. Chemical methods of synthesis are sometimes problematic as they can produce by-products and inhibitors to catalytic activity, that must be removed by the use of additional chemicals and costly procedures. One advantage of the electrochemical fabrication of catalysts is that it introduces a higher level of control and environmentally friendly routines. Such approaches rely on metal(s) reduction performed by applying voltage or current so that further treatment and/or removal of unwanted chemicals or contaminants is not needed. The catalysts designed and fabricated in this research will be used for industrially-important catalytic reactions related to fuel cell applications and environmental remediation. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained in advanced materials processing, along with analytical and characterizational methods at the interface between chemistry and materials science.