Designing Efficient Platinum-Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

1132777LINIC该提案是一次认真的尝试，旨在开发一种方法来克服低温氢燃料电池最严重的问题。阴极上氧还原反应的缓慢动力学显著降低了所获得的效率。为了缓解这一问题，已经使用了铂电催化剂。虽然高过电位和铂成本的负面影响是固有的，但铂是在常规使用的高酸环境中保持稳定的少数金属之一。燃料电池设备所需的酸兼容聚合物膜已经开发出来，因此PEM燃料电池代表着最先进的设备，但也存在重大缺陷。来自密歇根大学化学工程系的PI Suljo Linic提供了一种可能的方法来解决这些问题。氢氧化膜技术已经有了足够的改进，它打开了碱性操作环境，而不是酸性操作环境。更多的金属在基本介质中是稳定的，所以成本因素，甚至铂的存在可能是开放的审查。作为基础，Linic在基本工作介质中对不同的金属表面进行了一些初步的实验和计算，并假设了控制不同金属表面上的过电位的速率限制步骤的一些差异。他假设，除了取代昂贵的铂之外，特定的银表面或银覆盖表面可能有助于缓解过电位问题。他提出了一些具体的表面实验和计算补充来研究这些假设的有效性。积极的结果可能导致重振氢气燃料电池，并在某些燃料情况下使用氢气，这具有巨大的技术影响潜力。更广泛的教育和宣传部分是利尼科提议的传统和新方法的混合体。PI建议使用社交媒体工具，如YouTube，作为接触高中和大学观众的一种手段。这种方法建立在类似的成功的科学推广计划的基础上。人们可能会对这种可能性提出异议，但这基本上是另一个实验，它将是该项目的一部分。参与这一项目的大学学生肯定会从纳米科学和电催化的建设性整合中受益。

1132777LinicThe proposal represents a serious attempt at developing an approach to surmounting the most serious problem with low temperature H2 fuel cells. The slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode significantly reduces the efficiency obtained. To alleviate this, platinum electrocatalysts have been used. Although the negatives of high over-potential and Pt expense are inherent, platinum is one of the few metals stable in the high acid environment conventionally used. The acid-compatible polymer membranes needed for the fuel cell device were developed, so PEM fuel cells represent state-of-art devices, but with significant drawbacks.PI Suljo Linic from the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Michigan offers a possible way around these issues. There have been adequate improvements in hydroxide membrane technology which opens the basic as opposed to acidic operating environment to consideration. Many more metals are stable in basic media, so the cost factor or even presence of Pt may be open to review. As a basis, Linic has done some preliminary experiments and computations on various metal surfaces in basic operating media, and postulates some differences in rate limiting steps which govern over-potentials on the various metal surfaces. He hypothesizes that specific Ag surfaces or Ag overlayer surfaces may help alleviate the over-potential issue in addition to replacing expensive Pt. He proposes some specific surface experiments and computational complements to investigate the validity of the hypotheses. Positive results may lead to a revitalization of H2 fuel cells and the use of H2 in certain fuel situations, which represents large technical impact potential. The broader educational and outreach components were a mixture of traditional and new approaches as proposed by Linic. The PI proposes to use social delivery media vehicles, such as YouTube, as a means of outreach to the high school and college audience. This approach builds on similar successful scientific outreach programs. One may argue with the likelihood, but it is basically another experiment that will be a part of the project. The students at the University who become involved in this project will definitely benefit from constructive integration of nanoscience and electro-catalysis.