Collaborative Research: High-Throughput Quantification of Solid State Electrochemistry for Next Generation Energy Technologies

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NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION:The goal of this research is to advance the fundamental understanding of the behavior of oxide electrodes used in fuel cells, electrolysis cells, batteries, and other energy technologies. The approach combines high-throughput synthesis of libraries of material structures, with advanced high-throughput characterization and high-throughput data analysis. By making use of structures with well-defined geometric features, it is possible to directly interpret the electrochemical data. The insight afforded in turn enables deliberate engineering of structures to achieve exceptional performance. It also provides chemical guidance on how to create next generation materials. The performance enhancements can ultimately advance goals in sustainable energy. A broad cross-section of students at all levels are incorporated into the research and training goals of this effort via internships for high school and undergraduate students, as well as doctoral research opportunities for graduate students. Outreach efforts include engaging local K-12 students in science and engineering.TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION:This work aims to dramatically advance the understanding of electrochemical reaction pathways by making use of geometrically well-defined systems. Typical electrochemical structures incorporate random, high-surface area features to maximize overall performance and are not well-suited to extraction of fundamental behavior. In contrast, geometrically well-defined systems enable determination of properties such as length-specific triple-phase boundary activity, bulk chemical diffusion coefficient, area-specific surface activity, and much more. These are essential parameters for the deliberate engineering of high-performance structures. The painstaking nature of acquiring such data using individually prepared samples has, however, limited the study of geometrically well-defined electrochemical systems to a few important examples, despite growing recognition of its value. In this project, advanced fabrication tools are utilized to create libraries of electrode structures on electrolyte substrates and rapidly measure the entire contents of each library using an in-house constructed, unique scanning electrochemical probe system. Computational tools are developed to handle the massive quantities of data generated, including data mining and machine learning capabilities to create efficiencies in data acquisition and analysis. Libraries of geometrically graded microdot electrodes are complemented with selected compositionally-graded libraries, with the compositional space identified to further elucidate rate-limiting steps. Electrochemical studies are complemented with a broad suite of physical and chemical characterization methods to provide a comprehensive picture of material behavior as relevant to electrocatalysis. Generation of new insights into electrochemical reaction pathways is an essential step in the creation of next-generation electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices and as such has an important role in a sustainable energy future.