Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigations in Fuel Cell Catalysis

本研究的目的是利用电化学核磁共振（EC-NMR）研究不同铂合金对铂表面电子性质的影响。 用于燃料电池应用的候选电催化剂材料将通过单层量的Pt和其他贵金属（Ru、Ir、Os和Re）纳米颗粒的自发沉积来合成。 EC-NMR研究将探测金属表面和中毒吸附物。 还将研究Pd/Pt电极上的一氧化碳耐受性。 电子水平的信息，从EC-NMR获得的，将与电化学测量的结果，以更好地了解CO中毒的机制。 这些关联式对甲醇电氧化阳极的制备具有指导意义。 评审员认为PI是EC-NMR发展的先驱，用于检查底物电子状态和吸附物-结构键合的变化。 作为吸附和超电势的函数的表面功函数变化的相关性在电极过程的热力学和动力学的基本理解中是重要的。这个项目的更广泛的影响将是培养研究生和本科生的电催化方法。 这项研究可以帮助指导改进燃料电池催化剂在运输和移动的应用的发展。

The objective of this proposal is to use electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance (EC-NMR) to study the influence of various platinum alloys on the electronic properties of Pt surfaces. Candidate electrocatalyst materials for fuel-cell applications will be synthesized through the spontaneous deposition of monolayer quantities of Pt and other noble metal (Ru, Ir, Os, and Re) nanoparticles. EC-NMR studies will probe the metal surfaces and poisoning adsorbates. Carbon monoxide tolerance on Pd/Pt electrodes will also be studied. Electronic-level information, obtained from EC-NMR, will be correlated with the results of electrochemical measurements in an effort to better understand the mechanisms of CO-poisoning. Such correlations are expected to help guide the preparation of anodes for methanol electro-oxidation. Reviewers recognized the PIs as pioneers in the development of EC-NMR for examining changes in the electronic state of the substrate and adsorbate-structure bonding. A correlation of the surface work function changes as a function of adsorption and overpotential is important in the fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics of an electrode process. The broader impacts of this project will be to train graduate and undergraduate students in the methods of electrocatalysis. This research could help guide the development of improved fuel-cell catalysts for applications in transportation and mobile applications.