Collaborative Research: Three-Dimensional Mapping of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrodes: Processing, Structure, Stability, and Electrochemistry

非技术描述：燃料电池可能提供一种更有效和无污染的方法，将化学能转化为电能。 燃料电池电极的性能在很大程度上取决于电极的微结构或纳米结构的细节。 然而，用于测量材料形态的传统方法（例如电子显微镜）限于二维。 拟议项目的目的是开发一种功能强大的新方法-聚焦离子束扫描电子显微镜-用于在三维空间中全面表征电极微观结构。 通过这种方法获得的新信息将使工作人员能够直接将性能和结构联系起来，从而实现技术的进一步发展。这些新方法将列入新的大学课程材料和教育单元，以覆盖广泛的年龄组。 技术规格：本研究的一个主要目的是充分了解电极加工，结构，性能和性能之间的关系。 这将最终允许设计更高性能和更稳定的电极微结构，以及提供实现这些结构所需的处理信息。 所开发的方法也是工程界普遍感兴趣的。 新的课程材料的基础上，这项工作将被整合到PI的现有课程的燃料电池在华盛顿大学（UW）。 这些3D图像还将以前所未有的细节向年轻人展示科学原理，并将成为华盛顿大学每年向当地学校推广的一部分。这项研究是与西北大学和密歇根大学的合作成果。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Fuel cells potentially provide a more efficient and pollution-free method for converting chemical energy to electricity. The performance of fuel cell electrodes depends strongly on the details of the electrodes' micro- or nano-structure. However, traditional methods for measuring material morphology (e.g. electron microscopy) are limited to two dimensions. The aim of the proposed project is to develop a powerful new method - focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy - for fully characterizing electrode microstructure in three dimensions. The new information available by this method will allow workers to connect performance and structure directly, enabling further advances in the technology. These new methods will be included in new university course materials and in educational modules designed to reach a broad spectrum of age groups. TECHNICAL DETAILS: A main aim of this research is to fully understand the relationships between electrode processing, structure, properties, and performance. This will ultimately allow design of higher performance and more stable electrode microstructures, as well as providing processing information needed to achieve these structures. The methods developed are also of general interest to the engineering community. New course material based on this work will be integrated into the PI's existing courses on fuel cells at the University of Washington (UW). The 3D images will also facilitate demonstration of scientific principles to youths in unprecedented detail, and will become part of UW's yearly outreach to local area schools. This research is a collaborative effort with Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.