I-Corps: Iridium Complexes for Electrocatalysis

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力横跨石化、医疗和能源行业。该项目开发的防护涂层将允许更安全地储存、运输和使用腐蚀性化学品，以及遏制和处理危险废物。这些涂层还可以应用于医疗仪器和设备，从而延长使用寿命并降低污染风险。同样的涂层也将用于改进的电化学系统，如燃料电池和电解槽，这将允许有效利用可再生能源。由于这项技术允许沉积只有几个原子厚的氧化Ir涂层，所以可以使用目前使用的方法所需的1%的分数的Ir来将Ir氧化物的优点渗透到表面上。这将提高这种稀有的、否则成本高昂的元素的适用性。这个i-Corps项目始于一项技术，该技术允许在室温下从溶解于水的分子有机金属前体沉积氧化Ir涂层。这种涂层只有几个原子厚，但已被证明与厚度为500倍的氧化铱涂层一样不透水，而且比更厚的涂层更具活性，因为它是水和有机小分子氧化的电催化剂。此外，涂层还具有导电性。在I-Corps项目期间，该团队将从潜在客户那里收集信息，以开发最能利用这种超薄、保护和催化活性涂层的产品。据设想，这将是一些行业的一项变革性技术，使设备和系统具有前所未有的功能和耐用性。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project spans the petrochemical, medical, and energy industries. The protective coatings developed in this project will allow for safer storage, transportation, and use of corrosive chemicals, as well as the containment and treatment of hazardous wastes. These coatings may also find application to medical instruments and devices, allowing longer lifetimes and lower risks of contamination. The same coatings will also be useful in improved electrochemical systems such as fuel cells and electrolyzers, which will allow for effective use of renewable energy. Because this technology allows the deposition of iridium oxide coatings that are only a few atoms thick, the virtues of iridium oxides can be imbued to surfaces using fractions of a percent of the iridium required by currently employed methods. This will improve the applicability of this rare, and otherwise cost-prohibitive element.This I-Corps project starts with a technology that allows the room-temperature deposition of iridium oxide coatings from a molecular organometallic precursor dissolved in water. The coatings are only a few atoms thick, but have been shown to be as impervious as iridium oxide coatings 500 times thicker, and more active than the thicker coatings as electrocatalysts for the oxidation of water and small organic molecules. Additionally, the coatings are electrically conductive. During this I-corps project, the team will gather information from potential customers to develop products that will best take advantage of this ultra-thin, protective and catalytically active coating. It is envisioned that this will be a transformative technology in some sectors, allowing devices and systems with unprecedented functionality and durability.