RII Track-4: Operando Analysis of Fuel Cell Materials at Advanced Light Source

非技术描述21世纪世纪可能会面临许多挑战，其中之一是对非静止能源生产的日益增长的社会需求。氢燃料电池是解决和掌握这一任务的最有前途的技术之一。该项目的挑战是在原子和分子水平上推进燃料电池运行过程和机制的知识。将使用劳伦斯伯克利国家实验室的先进光源设施提供的仪器来探测电子结构纳米级燃料电池材料的结构。在实际操作条件下，在原子和分子水平上表征燃料电池中固液界面的能力是解决自然界和电化学中一些最基本和最深刻问题的关键。这一机会正在扩大新墨西哥州大学（UNM）科学家和学生在这一领域进行科学研究的能力。它将使研究教师和学生从新墨西哥州实现新墨西哥州的可持续能源发展的潜力，通过建立一个与国家的科学设施在新墨西哥州目前不可用的合作。该奖学金不仅将支持在分析化学的前沿研究人员的培训，而且还培训研究生，从而为研究生创造一个机会，在基础科学和应用科学之间的接口进行研究。技术说明性能最好的氢基燃料电池依赖于铂衍生的电催化剂。最有前途的一类替代的不含铂族金属的材料是基于含有氮和过渡金属的石墨烯样碳（金属、氮、碳材料; MNC）。了解氮和金属在燃料电池性能中的具体作用，如活性、稳定性和耐久性，是合理设计具有改进性能的燃料电池电催化剂的先决条件。该项目的目标是使用操作光谱技术研究电极的结构，并确定在阴极反应的氧化剂和阳极反应的还原剂存在下，在外加电位下运行的完整燃料电池内化学结构在反应中的具体作用。电极材料，反应物和产物的化学结构将在施加的电势下使用环境压力X射线光电子能谱（XPS）利用同步加速器光源在一个现实的燃料电池实验进行研究。该项目的基本兴趣是在分子水平上理解燃料电池反应的机制。电能和化学能之间的转换发生在固体电极材料、液体电解质和气相之间的界面区域。发展方法探测三相界面下不同的应用电位在operando将被追求。将追求在操作中在不同施加电势下探测三相界面。基于在操作条件下对全电极系统的研究的全面理解将导致识别MNC电极中存在的每种类型的化学在反应中的作用。这反过来又将加速合理的催化剂设计。

Non-technical DescriptionThe 21st century will likely face many challenges, among them being the increasing societal need for non-stationary energy production. Hydrogen fuel cells are one of the most promising technologies for addressing and mastering this task. This project takes on the challenge to advance the knowledge of processes and mechanisms occurring during operation of fuel cells at the atomic and molecular levels. The structure of materials of fuel cells at the nanometer scale of electronic structures will be probed using the instrumentation available at the Advanced Light Source facility, part of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The ability to characterize solid-liquid interfaces in fuel cells at the atomic and molecular levels under realistic operational conditions is the key to tackling some of the most fundamental and profound problems in nature as well as electrochemistry. This opportunity is extending the capacity of scientists and students from the University of New Mexico (UNM) to conduct scientific research in this area. It will allow research faculty and students from UNM to realize New Mexico's potential for sustainable energy development through building a collaboration with state-of-the-science facilities not available at this time within the state of NM. This fellowship will not only support training of the research faculty at the forefront of analytical chemistry but also training of graduate students, thereby creating an opportunity for graduate students to conduct research at the interface between basic and applied science.Technical DescriptionThe best performing hydrogen-based fuel cells rely on platinum-derived electrocatalysts. The most promising class of alternative platinum-group-metal-free materials is based on graphene-like carbon containing nitrogen and transition metal (Metal, Nitrogen, Carbon material; MNC). Understanding the specific roles of nitrogen and metal in fuel cell properties, such as activity, stability, and durability, is a prerequisite for the rational design of fuel cell electrocatalysts with improved performance. The goal of the project is the investigation of structures of electrodes using operando spectroscopic techniques and determining specific roles of chemical structures in the reaction within complete fuel cell operating under applied potential in the presence of oxidants for cathodic and reductants for anodic reactions. The chemical structure of electrode materials, reactants, and products will be studied under applied potential using ambient-pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) utilizing the synchrotron light source in a realistic fuel cell experiment. Of fundamental interest to this project is understanding the mechanism of fuel cell reactions at the molecular level. The conversion between electrical and chemical energy occurs in the interface region between a solid electrode material, liquid electrolyte, and gaseous phase. Developing methods for probing the tri-phase interphase under different applied potentials in operando will be pursued. probing the tri-phase interphase under different applied potentials in operando will be pursued. Comprehensive understanding based on a study of full electrode systems under operando conditions will result in the identification of the role that each type of chemistry present in an MNC electrode has in the reaction. This will, in turn, accelerate rational catalyst design.