Collaborative: Investigation of Electrocatalytic Trends on Core/Shell Structured Palladium Bimetallic Surfaces for Renewable Energy Research

1033601Ha风能、太阳能和潮汐能等大多数可再生能源的发电量与电力需求不符。为了解决这些可再生能源发电的间断性，需要将一种高效和经济高效的储能装置与这些能源相结合。再生燃料电池，特别是那些用水捕捉二氧化碳以产生甲酸的燃料电池，已经被提出。因此，通过将二氧化碳电化学还原过程与直接甲酸燃料电池相结合，基于非化石能源的未来能源系统的前景是显而易见的。然而，现实情况是，这项技术并没有很好地发挥作用，承诺也没有实现。华盛顿州立大学的Pis Su Ha和Louis Scudiero，以及田纳西大学诺克斯维尔大学的Deng Dai将短缺归因于甲酸燃料电池中的催化剂。他们指出，现有的阳极电催化剂是Pd，通过促进形成表面中毒物种的不希望看到的反应途径，阻止了电池性能的充分发挥。通过双金属催化剂的设计，可以对燃料电池催化剂进行改进。然而，由于缺乏对用作载体的各种过渡金属如何影响负载型Pd的催化性能的了解，进展受到限制。提出了将过渡金属中心包覆在核/壳结构中的Pd壳层制得的催化剂具有更好的选择性。他们打算制造这些催化剂以供测试。通过对制备的样品进行表面电子结构、化学性质和甲酸氧化催化性能的表征，将提高目前对该催化剂的认识。基于对双金属效应的深入了解，人们应该能够设计出性能优良的双金属催化剂，从而提高比活性，并进一步抑制甲酸氧化中不必要的反应途径。这些优良的双金属催化剂可用于开发高效可再生DFAFC系统，使来自可再生能源的间歇性电力的问题变得容易解决。拟议研究活动的成功有可能产生广泛的社会影响，因为它导致了高性能和稳定的再生甲酸燃料电池系统。这样的系统可以捕获二氧化碳，并将其转化为燃料，在燃料电池中消耗以产生电能。私人投资机构有计划将这一新知识传播给科学界以外的人。在Palouse Discovery科学中心，PI和研究生将演示再生燃料电池技术的科学原理，以提高初中生攻读理工科学位的兴趣。此外，PIS将通过继续参加华盛顿州立大学由NSF资助的教师研究经验(RET)计划，将研究结果传播到高中课堂。本科生将有机会体验最新的燃料电池和可再生能源技术，使用几种课内和课外的方法，包括为全国化学电动汽车大赛制造甲酸燃料电池。公共政策研究所将积极地让本科生，特别是威斯康星州立大学和田纳西大学的女大学生和代表不足的男大学生参与拟议的研究活动。在西澳州立大学，这将通过与多元文化学生服务办公室主任直接合作来实现。

1033601HaThe power generation from most renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and tidal energy is not coincident with power demand. To address the discontinuous nature of power generation from these renewable energy sources, an efficient and cost-effective means of energy storage device needs to be integrated with them. Regenerative fuel cells, particularly those capturing CO2 with H2O to produce formic acid, have been suggested. Thus, by combining the CO2 electrochemical reduction process with direct formic acid fuel cells, the prospects for future energy systems based on non-fossil energy sources are apparent. However, the reality is that the technology does not work so well and the promise goes unfulfilled.PIs Su Ha and Louis Scudiero of Washington State University, and Sheng Dai of the University of Tennessee Knoxville ascribe the shortfall to the catalyst in the formic acid fuel cell. They point out that the existing anode electrocatalyst is Pd, and the cell performance is prevented from reaching its full potential by promotion of the undesired reaction pathways for formation of surface poisoning species. Improvement of the fuel cell catalyst could be had through bimetallic catalyst design. However progress is limited by the lack of understanding of how the various transition-metals used as supports influence the catalytic performance of supported Pd. It is proposed that improved catalyst selectivity will be had from catalysts made by coating transition-metals centers with a Pd shell in the core/shell structure. They intend to make these catalysts for test. By treating the preparations to characterization of the surface electronic structure, chemical properties and catalytic performance for formic-acid oxidation, the current understanding will be improved upon. Based on the improved understanding of the bimetallic effect, one should be able to design superior bimetallic catalysts that increase the specific activity and inhibit further the undesired reaction pathways in formic acid oxidation. These superior bimetallic catalysts can be used to develop high efficiency regenerative DFAFC systems which make tractable the issue of intermittent power from renewable energy sources. The success of the proposed research activities has the potential for broad societal impact because it leads to high performance and stable regenerative formic acid fuel cell systems. Such a system can capture CO2 and convert it into a fuel that is consumed in the fuel cell to produce electrical energy. The PIs have plans for disseminating this new knowledge to those outside the scientific community. At the Palouse Discovery Science Center, the PIs and graduate students will demonstrate the scientific principle of regenerative fuel cell technology to increase middle and high school students interest in pursuing science and engineering degrees. Furthermore, the PIs will disseminate the research findings to high school classrooms by continuously participating in the NSF funded Research Experiences for Teacher (RET) program at Washington State University. Undergraduate students will be given an opportunity to experience the latest fuel cell and renewable energy technologies using several in-class and out-of-class approaches, including building formic acid fuel cells for the national Chem-E-Car Competition. The PIs will actively involve the undergraduate students, especially females and underrepresented males at WSU and University of Tennessee into the proposed research activities. At WSU, this will be accomplished by working directly with the director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services.