Advanced Materials and Characterization Tools for Energy Conversion and Storage

该提案旨在支持一项正在进行的材料化学研究项目，该项目在能量转换和存储方面的应用得到了一项成功的发现基金申请的支持。进一步的资助将允许申请人继续在电催化和高温高压（高T，p）电化学领域开展重要工作和新的基础研究项目。***本研究项目将研究合成先进且表征良好的金属氧化物/碳催化剂载体的新方法。在高T，p条件下，研究负载纳米颗粒（NPs）对氧还原和醇氧化的催化活性和稳定性。特别要注意的是，在一个基本的水平上，理解导致催化剂和载体之间的相互作用增强的条件，这可以导致材料在高T，p条件下具有更高的稳定性。在室温条件下广泛研究的Pt上氧的还原和PtRu上甲醇的氧化将作为这些初步研究的参考系统。***尽管将使用不同的最先进的表征技术来评估支持对催化剂NPs的活性和耐久性的作用，但最有趣的数据预计将来自申请人研究团队目前正在开发的高温高压双电极光谱电化学通道电池。该电池将允许在Pt/C和PtRu/C以及其他相关电催化剂材料上研究氧还原和甲醇和乙醇氧化的动力学。高温条件在电化学领域还没有得到广泛的研究，这种电池设计中的电极也可以被照亮，这将为光电化学和利用阳光的电化学燃料发电领域的基础研究开辟新的可能性。***发现基金将提供所需的资金支持5名研究生和5名本科暑期学生的研究工作。在申请人的监督下工作的HQPs将有机会获得在其他实验室不常见的基础设施和研究专业知识。在材料化学方面，申请人的项目有潜力推动高温聚合物电解质膜燃料电池、制氢领域的发展，并在二氧化碳转化为燃料、超级电容器和锂电池等领域和应用方面做出重大贡献

This proposal aims to support an ongoing research program on materials chemistry with applications in energy conversion and storage supported by a successful Discovery Grant application. Further funding will allow the applicant to continue important work and start new fundamental research projects in the fields of electrocatalysis and high temperature and pressure (high T,p) electrochemistry.***This research program will investigate new approaches for the synthesis of advanced and well-characterized metal oxide/carbon catalyst supports. The catalytic activity and stability of supported nanoparticles (NPs) toward the reduction of oxygen and oxidation of alcohols will be studied under high T,p conditions. Particular attention will be paid to understanding, at a basic level, the conditions that result in an enhancement of the interaction between the catalyst and the support that can lead to materials with a higher stability under high T,p conditions. The reduction of oxygen on Pt and the oxidation of methanol on PtRu that were extensively studied under room temperature conditions will be used as reference systems for these initial studies.***Even though different state-of-the-art characterization techniques will be used to assess the role of the support on the activity and durability of the catalyst NPs, the most interesting data are expected to come from a high temperature and pressure dual-electrode spectroelectrochemical channel cell currently under development by the applicant's research team. The cell would allow the study of the kinetics of the reduction of oxygen and oxidation of methanol and ethanol on Pt/C and PtRu/C, as well as on other relevant electrocatalyst materials. High temperature conditions have not been explored extensively in electrochemistry, and the fact that the electrode in this cell design can also be illuminated will open new possibilities for fundamental research in the fields of photoelectrochemistry and electrochemical fuel generation using sunlight. ***The Discovery grant will provide the funding required to support the research work of five graduate students and five undergraduate summer students. HQPs working under the applicant's supervision will have access to infrastructure and research expertise that is not frequently found in other laboratories. In materials chemistry, the applicant's program has the potential to advance the field of high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, hydrogen production, and make significant contributions to areas and applications related to CO2 conversion to fuels, supercapacitors, and lithium batteries.**