An Approach to Understanding Electrocatalytically Relevant Structure-Property Correlations in the Methanol Oxidation Reaction

燃料电池(FC)是一种通过催化反应将化学能转化为电能的电化学装置。最近在开发替代、可再生和可持续能源方面的努力导致了旨在建立可行的FC配置的更多研究。FCS可用于许多应用，从便携式电子产品、商业建筑、住宅电源到公用事业规模的应用。传统的商用FC催化剂通常以铂和类似的贵金属为基础，但这些系统往往存在严重的性能问题，而且成本高昂。在这个项目中，石溪大学的Stanislaus Wong博士正在通过研究催化效率和成本效益来设计更便宜、性能更好的新型FC催化剂。这些目标是通过对关键反应变量的整体考虑来实现的，例如催化剂载体的大小、形状和组成。他的研究小组将这些因素与FC性能相关联，以提高成本效率和可持续性。王教授致力于确保少数族裔学生充分参与科学教育。为了做到这一点，他创建了科学生活讨论倡议，为学生提供从专业研究人员和科学家那里获得重要职业信息的机会。SCI-LIFE邀请来自学术界、工业界和政府的研究人员和科学家给学生们做非正式演讲，不仅描述他们的研究兴趣，还描述他们如何解决潜在的职业担忧、恐惧、问题和误解。在化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学(MSN)计划的资助下，王博士正在探索新型纳米级电催化剂催化行为的形态和组成相关性。他正在研究一维形态的影响、核-壳结构、有意添加过渡金属掺杂剂(即合金核心成分)以及底层载体对相关甲醇氧化反应活性和动力学的影响的基本的、单独的机制作用。人们正在合成纳米级的电催化剂，它由支撑在超薄纳米线核心上的铂单层壳组成，并围绕着超细纳米线核心。然后将这些模型系统固定在钙钛矿型或杂化载体上。然后用一套互补的表征技术，包括原位方法，研究了超薄的一维核壳体系的结构和电催化性能。这些研究解决了新型催化剂-载体系统中催化增强的结构和电子起源。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A fuel cell (FC) is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through catalyzed reactions. Recent efforts in developing alternative, renewable and sustainable energy sources have led to increased research aimed at building viable FC configurations. FCs could be used in many applications from portable electronics, commercial buildings, and residential power, to utility-scale applications. Conventional, commercial FC catalysts are often based on platinum (Pt) and similar precious metals, but these systems tend to have serious performance problems and can be cost prohibitive. In this project, Dr. Stanislaus Wong of Stony Brook University is designing new classes of cheaper and better-performing FC catalysts by investigating catalytic efficiency and cost-effectiveness. These objectives are achieved through a holistic consideration of key reaction variables such as the size, shape, and composition of the underlying catalyst support. His research group correlates these factors with the FC performance to improve cost efficiency and sustainability. Professor Wong seeks to ensure the full participation of underrepresented minority students in science. To do this, he creates the SCI-LIFE discussion initiative, to provide students with the opportunity to receive important career information from professional researchers and scientists. SCI-LIFE invites researchers and scientists from academia, industry, and government to give informal talks to the students, describing not only their research interests but how they address and tackle potential career concerns, fears, questions, and misconceptions.With funding from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program of the Chemistry Division, Dr. Wong is probing the morphology- and composition-dependence of the catalytic behavior of novel nanoscale electrocatalysts. He is examining the fundamental, individual mechanistic roles of the effects of a one-dimensional morphology, a core-shell motif, the deliberate addition of a transition metal dopant (i.e. alloy core composition), and the effect of the underlying support upon the associated methanol oxidation reaction activity and kinetics. Nanoscale electrocatalysts are being synthesized, consisting of platinum monolayer shells supported on and circumscribing ultrathin nanowire cores. These model systems are then immobilized onto either perovskite or hybrid supports. The structure and electrocatalytic properties of the ultrathin, one-dimensional, core-shell system are then examined with a suite of complementary characterization techniques, including in situ methods. These studies address the structural and electronic origins of catalytic enhancement within novel catalyst-support systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.