All-Electrochemical Synthesis of Nanoporous Metal Based Catalysts for Energy Applications and Environmental Pollution Remedy

NSF化学催化计划支持纽约州立大学宾厄姆顿分校的尼古拉·迪米特罗夫教授的努力，设计和开发一种全电化学合成方法，能够生产厚度可调、孔隙率可相互连接的薄而连续的纳米孔催化剂。合成方法包括电沉积连续的单相合金薄膜，然后选择性地氧化去除不那么贵重的成分(去合金化)。脱合金过程完成了厚度小于20 nm的纳米多孔金属(NPM)的制备。该合成方法成分控制可靠，加工效率高。在制备的不同阶段，用电化学方法、STM/AFM、SEM、EDS等手段对催化剂的比表面积、结构和组成进行了表征。然后，NPM要么直接用作催化剂，要么用一层亚纳米厚的催化活性金属或合金进行电化学功能化。涂层由最先进的电化学方法制成，确保了对NPM基质的完全和均匀覆盖。在建立的氧还原反应、有机燃料氧化和/或硝酸盐电还原的实验室测试中，对催化剂的活性和耐久性进行了评估。然后在半工业环境中对最好的催化剂进行评估。来自弱势群体的合格本科生在调查员S研究组提供暑期研究活动。NSF化学催化计划支持纽约州立大学宾厄姆顿分校的尼古拉·迪米特罗夫教授的努力，引入一种全电化学合成方法，以制备基于纳米多孔金属的新型催化活性材料，作为最成熟的用于能源和环境应用的纳米粒子催化剂的替代品。化学合成方法有时是有问题的，因为它们会产生副产品和催化活性的抑制剂，必须通过使用额外的化学品和昂贵的程序来去除。电化学制备催化剂的一个优点是它引入了更高水平的控制和环境友好的常规程序。这种方法依赖于通过施加电压或电流进行金属(S)还原，因此不需要进一步处理和/或去除不需要的化学品或污染物。本研究中设计和制造的催化剂将用于与燃料电池应用和环境修复相关的工业重要催化反应。研究生和本科生将接受先进材料加工的培训，以及化学和材料科学之间的分析和表征方法。

The NSF Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Nikolay Dimitrov at the State University of New York at Binghamton to design and develop an all-electrochemical synthetic approach that enables the production of thin and continuous nanoporous catalysts with tunable thickness and interconnected porosity. The synthetic protocols include electrodeposition of continuous single-phase alloy films followed by selective oxidative removal of the less-noble component (de-alloying). The de-alloying process completes the fabrication of nanoporous metals (NPMs) with thicknesses of less than 20 nm. The synthetic method results in reliable composition control and high processing efficiency. During different stages of the fabrication, the catalyst surface area, structure and composition are confirmed by electrochemical methods, and also by STM/AFM, SEM, and EDS. The NPMs are then either used directly as catalysts or are electrochemically functionalized with a sub-nanometer thick layer of catalytically active metals or alloys. The coating is made by state-of-the art electrochemical approaches, ensuring complete and uniform coverage over the NPM matrix. The catalysts are assessed for activity and durability in established lab tests for the oxygen reduction reaction, organic fuel oxidation, and/or nitrate electro-reduction. The best catalysts are then assessed in a semi-industrial environment. Qualified undergraduates from underrepresented groups are offered summer research activities in the investigator?s research group. The NSF Chemical Catalysis Program supports the efforts of Professor Nikolay Dimitrov at the State University of New York at Binghamton to introduce an all-electrochemical synthetic approach for the fabrication of a new class of catalytically active materials based on nanoporous metals as an alternative to the most established nanoparticle catalysts for energy and environmental applications. Chemical methods of synthesis are sometimes problematic as they can produce by-products and inhibitors to catalytic activity, that must be removed by the use of additional chemicals and costly procedures. One advantage of the electrochemical fabrication of catalysts is that it introduces a higher level of control and environmentally friendly routines. Such approaches rely on metal(s) reduction performed by applying voltage or current so that further treatment and/or removal of unwanted chemicals or contaminants is not needed. The catalysts designed and fabricated in this research will be used for industrially-important catalytic reactions related to fuel cell applications and environmental remediation. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained in advanced materials processing, along with analytical and characterizational methods at the interface between chemistry and materials science.