CAREER: Strain Engineered Mixed Ionic Electronic Conducting Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode Catalysts

1254453 Nicholas，Jason D.燃料电池是用于将存储在燃料的化学键内的能量转换成电能和/或热的电化学装置。固体氧化物燃料电池（SOFC），其效率为60- 85%，最高的基于碳氢化合物的发电技术，通过允许氧离子通过电子绝缘固体膜来实现这一点;并在此过程中通过迫使氧电子通过外部电路绕过膜来发电。通过以这种方式电化学氧化燃料而不是燃烧燃料，SOFC已经证明了组合的热和功率效率是常规化石燃料供给发电厂中获得的效率的两倍以上。与只能使用氢气的其他类型的燃料电池不同，SOFC可以使用多种燃料，如氢气、沼气、汽油、天然气、喷气燃料和甲烷。由于它们能够使用碳氢化合物和氢气燃料，为什么SOFC没有成为主要的能源转换解决方案？SOFC商业化的两个最令人生畏的障碍是1）缺乏在低于600 ℃的操作温度下具有所需表面性质的SOFC电极催化剂材料，和2）缺乏催化活性、高电导率、氧化还原稳定、抗焦化、耐硫的SOFC阳极材料，其将允许SOFC在干燥的、商业上广泛使用的烃燃料上操作。密歇根州立大学的杰森·尼古拉斯教授认为，现有的材料库中可能已经包含了能够完成这项工作的材料，包括混合离子型电子导电镧锶铬镁氧化物。美国国家科学基金会授予尼古拉斯教师早期职业发展（CAREER）计划奖，以系统地评估这些混合离子氧化物的必要表面性质和催化活性和选择性可以通过施加外部双轴应力来增强的假设。虽然薄膜催化剂将最初进行研究，PI打算制造和阐明的行为纳米复合材料SOFC阳极含有应变工程催化剂的一些标准方法。此外，研究人员将开发一种新的曲率松弛测量技术，该技术将允许在原位和操作中进行氧表面交换测量，而不会产生电极引起的失真，从而产生以前无法获得的数据。拟议的工作将通过首次系统地阐明应力，结构，电化学性质，温度，和SOFC阳极电催化剂中的氧分压。调查员计划一个广泛的教育推广活动计划，作为职业奖的一个特点，延伸到高中生，本科生和教师。一项具体活动将是为密歇根州中部女童子军提供一年一度的密歇根州立大学访问日，旨在向K-12女孩介绍科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科。

1254453Nicholas, Jason D.Fuels cells are electrochemical devices used to convert the energy stored within the chemical bonds of the fuel into electrical energy and/or heat. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), which have efficiencies of 60-85%, highest of the hydrocarbon-based electricity production technologies, achieve this by allowing oxygen ions to pass through an electronically insulating solid membrane; and in the process producing electricity by forcing the oxygen electrons to circumvent the membrane via an external circuit. By electrochemically oxidizing fuel in this manner instead of combusting it, SOFCs have demonstrated combined heat and power efficiencies more than twice those obtained in conventional fossil fuel-fed power plants. Unlike other types of fuel cells that can only run on hydrogen, SOFCs can operate on a variety of fuels such as hydrogen, biogas, gasoline, natural gas, jet fuel, and methane.With their ability to run on both hydrocarbon and hydrogen fuels, why have SOFCs not become a primary energy conversion solution? Two of the most daunting obstacles to SOFC commercialization are 1) a lack of SOFC electrode catalyst materials with desirable surface properties at operating temperatures less than 600C, and 2) a lack of catalytically active, high conductivity, redox stable, coking resistant, sulfur tolerant, SOFC anode materials which will allow SOFCs to operate on dry, commercially-widespread hydrocarbon fuels. Professor Jason Nicholas of Michigan State University believes that the pool of available materials may already contain those which will do the job, including mixed ionic electronic-conducting lanthanum strontium chromium magnesium oxides. The National Science Foundation is awarding the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program Award to Nicholas to systematically evaluate the hypothesis that the necessary surface properties and the catalytic activity and selectivity of these mixed ionic oxides can be enhanced through the application of an external biaxial stress. Although thin film catalysts will initially be studied, the PI intends to fabricate and elucidate the behavior of nanocomposite SOFC anodes containing strain engineered catalysts by a number of standard methods. In addition, the investigator will develop a novel curvature relaxation measurement technique which will allow oxygen surface exchange measurements to be performed in situ and in operando without the distortions caused by electrodes, yielding data not previously available.The proposed work will advance the field of catalysis by systematically elucidating, for the first time, the full relationship between stress, structure, electrochemical properties, temperature, and oxygen partial pressure in a SOFC anode electrocatalyst. The investigator plans a wide program of educational outreach activities as a feature of the CAREER award, extending to high school students, undergraduates and teachers. A specific activity will be to provide mid-Michigan Girl Scouts with an annual Michigan State University visit day aimed at introducing K-12 girls to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.