Electrocatalysis on model systems with well-defined composition and crystallographic surface structures

具有明确组成和晶体表面结构的模型系统的电催化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03569
• 负责人: Guay, Daniel
• 金额: $ 4.66万
• 依托单位: Institut national de la recherche scientifique
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=742618
• 关键词: Electrocatalysis; model; systems; well; defined

Global energy consumption has increased continuously over the years and is expected to grow unabated in the future. Innovation in the energy conversion and storage sectors are critical to help meet these global energy demands and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, with its concomitant greenhouse gas emissions. Among the many efforts to decrease this dependency, a promising strategy is to power the electrochemical synthesis of chemicals and fuels from naturally abundant resources using green electricity such as hydroelectricity, as well as an intermittent renewable energy supply, such as wind-derived electricity. The development of energy technologies which efficiently convert chemical energy into versatile electrical energy is equally important. Developing and deploying these technologies will require the application of knowledge, concepts and tools from a variety of fields including materials science, physics, chemistry (electrochemistry) and most notably, heterogeneous electrocatalysis, since these reactions occur at the interface between different phases. Over the next five years, I intend to pursue and expand my research program on high- performance materials as they pertain to applications in the fields of energy conversion and energy storage. The present Discovery grant application will fund a research program involving basic aspects of electrocatalysis and electrode materials and focused on fundamental science. More specifically; it seeks to gain an understanding of structure-property relationships in electrode materials and reactions, which are central to environmentally-friendly energy applications. Our research team's goal is to identify active sites within a given reaction - such as different facets and edge, corner, and defective sites. This knowledge will subsequently be used to guide development of nanostructured catalysts that will maximize the concentration of active sites, and thus the current density and performance of real-life energy conversion systems. To achieve this goal, our team's approach leverages highly versatile fabrication processes to prepare model surfaces with controlled compositions and crystallographic surface orientations, which are then subjected to extensive surface and electrochemical characterization as well as evaluations of the compounds' electrocatalytic performances. Over the next five years, our short-term objective is to focus on three reactions which are central to alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells and the electrochemistry of carbon-free-fuels: the hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline media, the oxidation of NH3 to N2, and the conversion of N2 to NH3. Each year, a total of three PhD and two undergraduate students will be trained in all aspects of electrocatalysis, including material preparation and characterization, and electrochemical science. They will develop knowledge and skills relevant to Canadian industry as well as academia.

多年来，全球能源消耗持续增长，预计将来会不会减弱。能源转化和存储部门的创新对于帮助满足这些全球能源需求并减少对化石燃料的依赖以及其伴随的温室气体排放至关重要。在降低这种依赖性的许多努力中，一种有前途的策略是使用绿色电力（例如水力发电）和间歇性可再生能源供应（例如风能电力）为自然丰富资源的化学化学合成供电。 能源技术有效地转化为多功能电能的能源技术同样重要。开发和部署这些技术将需要从各个领域的知识，概念和工具应用，包括材料科学，物理学，化学（电化学），最值得注意的是，异质的电催化性，因为这些反应发生在不同阶段之间的界面上。在接下来的五年中，我打算在高性能材料方面遵循和扩展我的研究计划，因为它们与能源转换和储能领域的应用有关。本发现赠款应用程序将资助一项研究计划，涉及电催化和电极材料的基本方面，并侧重于基本科学。更具体地；它试图了解电极材料和反应中的结构特性关系，这对于环保能源应用至关重要。 我们的研究团队的目标是识别给定反应中的主动地点，例如不同的方面和边缘，角落和有缺陷的站点。这些知识随后将用于指导纳米结构化催化剂的开发，这些催化剂将最大程度地提高活性位点的浓度，从而使现实能量转化系统的当前密度和性能。为了实现这一目标，我们团队的方法利用了高度通用的制造工艺来制备具有控制组合物和晶体学表面方向的模型表面，然后将其进行广泛的表面和电化学表征以及化合物的电催化性能的评估。在接下来的五年中，我们的短期目标是专注于三种反应，这些反应是碱性聚合物电解质燃料电池和无碳燃料燃料的电化学：碱性培养基中的氢氧化反应，NH3至N2的氧化以及N2对NH3的转化。每年，总共三名博士学位和两名本科生都将在电催化的各个方面进行培训，包括物质准备和表征以及电化学科学。他们将发展与加拿大工业以及学术界相关的知识和技能。