Advanced Materials and Characterization Tools for Energy Conversion and Storage

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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.