Bifunctional Non-Precious Metal Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Oxygen Evolution Reactions
Low cost, environmentally-benign energy for sustainable development is one of this century's great scientific and technological challenges. Catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions are at the heart of key renewable-energy technologies including fuel cells and water splitting for hydrogen production. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the cathode reaction in fuel cells, while the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) employed in electrolysis cells and rechargeable metal-air batteries.
In fuel cells, the electrode reduces oxygen (ORR) to water. The slow kinetics of the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) is the major limiting factor in the energy-conversion efficiency of fuel cells . So far, the most effective electrocatalyst for ORR is Pt or its alloys. However, the high cost, limited supply, and poor durability of Pt have hindered the large-scale application of fuel cells.
On the other hand in electrolysis cells, the electrode oxidizes water to oxygen (OER). The OER kinetics are sluggish, however, even when facilitated by comparatively high activity, precious-metal containing catalysts. An effective electrocatalyst that can enhance the energy efficiency is also required.
It is highly challenging but desirable to develop efficient bi- functional catalysts for both ORR and OER, particularly for unitized regenerative fuel cells, a promising energy storage system that works as a fuel cell and in reverse as a water electrolyzer producing H2 and O2 to feed the fuel cell.
This work focuses on synthesis and characterization of nanoscale transition metal oxides on graphene as a new class of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The research will endeavour to (1) synthesize nanoscale transition metal oxides on graphene as a new class of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for ORR and OER; (2) investigate the intrinsic catalytic activity and structure-property relationships of the nanoscale catalysts.
New synthesis techniques will be developed to synthesize transition metal oxides on graphene catalysts. Their catalytic properties and ORR and OER kinetics on them will be investigated with electrochemical techniques, and their atomic, electronic and surface structures will be investigated with home based techniques (XPS, XRD, Raman, AFM, TEM) as well as synchrotron based EXAFS technique and correlated with catalytic properties.
Applications are welcome from graduates of Chemistry/Electrochemistry, Engineering, Physics, or Materials Science
[1] Liang, Y. Y.; Li, Y. G.; Wang, H. G.; Zhou, J. G.; Wang, J. J.; Regier, T.; Dai, H. J.Co3O4 Nanocrystals on Graphene as a Synergistic Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Nature Materials, 2011, 10, 780– 786.
[2] Gorlin, Y.; Jaramillo, T. F.A Bifunctional Nonprecious Metal Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction and Water Oxidation J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 13612– 13614.
Further details: Prof. Papakonstantinou, Carbon based Nanomaterials group (p.papakonstantinou@ulster.ac.uk)
Personnel Involved
First Supervisor: Papakonstantinou, P Prof
Second Supervisor: Davis, J Prof
Collaboration: This project does not involve collaboration with another establishment
Synopsis:
This work focuses on synthesis and characterization of nanoscale transition metal oxides on graphene as a new class of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The research will endeavour to (1) synthesize nanoscale transition metal oxides on graphene as a new class of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for ORR and OER; (2) investigate the intrinsic catalytic activity and structure-property relationships of the nanoscale catalysts.