Mixed-metal-oxide electrodes for hydrogen production by water electrolysis and for electrical charge storage in supercapacitors

氢已被确定为未来的燃料载体，因为它是完美的环境友好，可再生，丰富，并具有高质量的能量密度。它越来越被认为是化石燃料的最佳替代品，并最终有望为运输需求和大规模储能提供解决方案。即使在消费领域，相应的技术也已经开始出现;丰田和本田正在推出氢燃料电池驱动的汽车，美国、欧洲和日本也迅速建立了氢燃料加注站。氢可以通过电解水来生产，这为氢经济提供了一条完全清洁的途径，而无需消耗化石燃料或排放二氧化碳，特别是在太阳能，风能或水力发电的支持下。然而，为了使该技术更具成本竞争力，需要更电活性、更耐用和更便宜的电极材料。此外，对于需要突然爆发电能的应用（电动和燃料电池汽车、电子设备、飞机紧急滑梯等），电化学超级电容器是最适合的。为了提高现有超级电容器的功率和能量密度，还需要更好的电极材料。** 本研究计划旨在解决上述两个领域。它概述了开发基于混合金属氧化物（MMO）的新型纳米结构电极材料的新策略，用于（i）在可持续能源动力的电化学氢气发生器中生产氢气，以及（ii）用于超级电容器中的电荷存储。** 通过理论上的考虑和组合电化学，并使用新的方法来定制电极，许多MMO将被确定和开发为新的电极。该研究还将有助于我们了解MMOs和其他类型电极的基本表面物理化学性质，表面形貌和形态，体结构和化学组成以及电子/介电性质如何影响其相应的电化学性质。这将反过来使研究人员能够根据纳米级的现象而不是经验方法来设计各种应用的电极。* 拟议的研究将培养2名博士，3名工程硕士和5名本科生，他们随后将进入加拿大公共研究/学术部门或行业，并为进一步开发一系列新的更清洁和可持续的电化学技术做出贡献。这里提出的研究计划，方法和方法也将确保这些学生的质量反映加拿大作为世界科学和技术领导者之一的地位。

Hydrogen has been identified as the fuel vector' of the future, as it is perfectly environmentally-friendly, renewable, abundant and has high mass-based energy density. It has increasingly been considered as the best alternative to fossil fuels, and is ultimately expected to provide the solution to transport requirements and large-scale storage of energy. The corresponding technologies have already started emerging even in the consumer sector; Toyota and Honda are introducing hydrogen fuel cell powered cars, hydrogen re-fueling stations have rapidly been built in the USA, Europe and Japan. Hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis of water, which provides a completely clean route to the hydrogen economy without the consumption of fossil fuels or the emission of carbon dioxide, especially if supported by solar-, wind-, or hydro-produced electricity. However, in order to make this technology more cost-competitive, more electroactive, durable and cheaper electrode materials are needed. Further, for applications where a sudden burst of electrical energy is needed (electric and fuel-cell cars, electronic equipment, airplane emergency slides, etc.), electrochemical supercapacitors are best suited. In order to increase the power and energy density of present supercapacitors, better electrode materials are also needed. *** ***The research program proposed here aims at addressing the two above-mentioned areas. It outlines new strategies for the development of new nano-structured electrode materials based on mixed-metal-oxides (MMOs) to be used for (i) production of hydrogen in sustainable-energy-powered electrochemical hydrogen generators, and (ii) for electric charge storage in supercapacitors. *** ***By theoretical considerations and combinatorial electrochemistry, and using new approaches in tailoring electrodes, a number of MMOs will be identified and developed as new electrodes. The research will also contribute to our understanding on how fundamental surface physicochemical properties, surface topography and morphology, bulk structure and chemical composition, and electronic/dielectric properties of MMOs and other types of electrodes influence their corresponding electrochemical properties. This will, in turn, enable researchers to base the design of electrodes for various applications on phenomena at the nano-level, rather than on empirical methods.*** ***The proposed research will train 2 PhD, 3 MEng and 5 undergraduate students, who will subsequently enter the Canadian public research/academic sector or industry and contribute to further development of a range of new cleaner and sustainable electrochemistry-based technologies. The research program, methods and approaches proposed here will also ensure that the quality of these students reflects the position of Canada as one of the world's leaders in science and technology.**