Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Boosting Electrocatalytic Activity Of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene/Carbon Nanotube Composite For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Yu Zhang, Jin-Song Hu, Wen-Jie Jiang, Lin Guo, Zi-Dong Wei, Li-Jun Wan

Journal of Electrochemistry

Developing low-cost catalysts with high electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has recently attracted much attention because the sluggish ORR currently limits the performance and commercialization of fuel cells and metal-air batteries as well. Nitrogen doped carbon materials have been considered as a promising candidate for the replacement of high-cost and scarce Pt-based catalysts although their electrocatalytic activity still needs to be much improved. In this work, an improved nitrogen-doped graphene/carbon nanotubes composite (N-rGO/CNT) was developed as an efficient ORR electrocatalyst. It was found that the ORR activity of N-rGO/CNT composite could be significantly enhanced by introducing iron in …

Recent Progress In Heteroatoms Doped Carbon Materials As A Catalyst For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Wei Ding, Xue Zhang, Li Li, Zi-Dong Wei

Journal of Electrochemistry

Developing catalytic materials for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) with high performance and low cost has been one of the major challenges for large-scale applications of fuel cells. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the heteroatoms doped carbon materials as a catalyst for the catalysis of ORR, with an emphasis on the universal origin of their catalytic mechanisms. The future prospects of the metal-free catalyst were to find precisely controlled doping methods, to explore the role of heteroatoms in the catalysis, and to generate more active catalysts with suitable nanostructure.

Preparation And Catalytic Properties Of Feco Alloy Nanocatalyst, Ming-Xuan Li, Jie-Lian Ou, Sheng-Pei Chen, Peng Wang, Bin-Bin Xu, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

The FeCo alloy nanoparticles were electrodeposited on glassy carbon electrode by chronoamperometry and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the shapes of FeCo nanoparticles were cubes with an average size of 65 nm. The atom ratio of Fe and Co is 1:1. As indicated from the pattern of selected area electron diffraction (SAED), the FeCo cubic nanoparticles were single crystal which belonged to body-centered cubic with an interval of 0.201 nm referring to the (110) facets of FeCo alloy. The FeCo cubic nanoparticles exhibited the enhanced electrocatalytic …

Oxygen Reduction Reaction On Glycin Modified Pt(111) Electrode, Ming-Fang Li, Jing Kang, Ling-Wen Liao, Yan-Xia Chen, Shen Ye

Journal of Electrochemistry

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xygen reduction reaction (ORR) on glycin (NH₂CH₂COOH) modified Pt(111) electrode has been investigated using hanging meniscus rotating disk electrode system (HMRD) in 0.05 mol•L^-1 H₂SO₄ and 0.1 mol•L^-1 HClO₄ solutions, respectively. Cyclic voltammograms of the glycin modified Pt (111) electrode measured in 0.05 mol•L^-1 H₂SO₄ solution similar to that of CN^- modified Pt(111) electrodes, demonstrating that sulfate adsorption is strongly inhibited at the glycin modified Pt(111). From the polarization curve of ORR recorded in 0.05 mol•L^-1 H₂SO₄ solution, it is …

Ternary Alloy Electrocatalysts For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Jin Luo, Lefu Yang, Binghui Chen, Chuanjian Zhong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell represents an important electrochemical energy conversion device with many attractive features in terms of efficiency of energy conversion and minimization of environmental pollution. However, the large overpotential for oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode and the low activity, poor durability and high cost of platinum-based catalysts in the fuel cells constitute a focal point of major barriers to the commercialization of fuel cells. The development of nanostructured catalysts shows promises to addresses some of the challenging problems. The ability to engineer the composition and nanostructure of nanoalloy catalysts is important for developing active, robust and …

Methodological Significance Of "Property-Activity Relationship" For Catalyst Studies, Jun-Tao Lu, Li Xiao, De-Li Wang, Yu-Bao Sun, Yan-Ge Suo, Lin Zhuang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Instead of attempting the structure-activity relationship (SAR), which is commonly regarded as the core problem for catalyst studies, this paper highlights the methodological significance of “property-activity relationship (PAR)”. The “property” here refers to an index （such as the adsorption energy of an intermediate） or a group of indexes reflecting the behavior of a catalyst which interacts with reactants or intermediates, and is a bridge between structure and activity. Because property is related to activity more directly than structure to activity, PAR should be simpler, less difficult and, therefore, more feasible to be accessed than SAR. Once the key property is …

Catalytic Activities Of Electrochemically Dealloyed Pt(Pd)-Cu Catalysts For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Rui-Zhi Yang, Strasser Peter, Toney Michael

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemically dealloyed Pt(Pd)-Cu catalysts were prepared by electrochemical dealloying of Cu₃Pt(Pd) and their catalytic activities toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were studied in 0.1 mol·L^-1 HClO₄ . solutions. The structural features of the dealloyed Pt(Pd)-Cu were revealed by synchrotron-based anomalous X-ray diffraction (AXRD) and surface X-ray scattering (SXS) at an atomic scale. We established a relationship between the structure and the catalytic activity by comparing the ORR activity and the structure of dealloyed Cu₃Pt nanoparticles with similarly dealloyed Cu₃Pt thin films and Cu₃Pt(111). The enhancement in the activity of …

Nanostructured Catalyst Materials For Next Generation Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (Pem) Fuel Cells, Wisam J. Khudhayer

Theses and Dissertations

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are electrochemical energy conversion devices which have demonstrated great promise as future energy sources for electric vehicles, as they convert chemical energy to electrical energy with a significantly higher efficiency and lower environmental impact than in standard combustion processes. However, the commercialization of PEM fuel cells for transportation applications has been hindered by several factors such as high cost of Pt, low Pt utilization, poor long-term durability of the conventional PEM fuel cell catalyst (Pt nanoparticels supported on carbon black, Pt/C), and poor thermal and chemical stability of the electrocatalyst supports (carbon black). The …

Design And Development Of Highly Active, Nanoengineered, Platinum Based Core-Shell Electrodes For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Seth Louis Knupp

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Highly active nanoengineered core-shell electrocatalyst have a great potential to be used as fuel cell electrodes. They can alleviate problems related with commercial carbon supported platinum by simultaneously lowering cost while enhancing reaction kinetics and overall performance. More recently, use of nanoengineered core-shell electrode structures have showed their ability to enhance the stability and overall lifetime of the catalyst without sacrificing the electrode's performance. We studied the potential of using highly active core-shell nanoparticles supported on carbon nanomaterials as fuel cell electrodes.

Synthesis And Electrocatalytic Properties Of Ni-Pd/C Catalysts With Pd-Enriched Surface, Yu-Mei Chen, Zhi-Xiu Liang, Sheng-Li Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Ni-Pd alloy catalysts with Pd-enriched surface were synthesized through a modified polyol process.The synthesized materials were investigated by XRD and electrochemical methods,and tested as electrocatalysts for CH₃OH-tolerant oxygen reduction.The results indicated that the synthesized Ni-Pd nanoparticles possess multiple phases containing Pd-Ni alloy and pure Ni.Comparing with Pd/C,the prepared Ni-Pd/C nanoparticles exhibited better resolved voltammetric peaks between the hydrogen absorption and adsorption,and positively shifted current peaks for the reduction of Pd oxide.The prepared Ni-Pd alloys with Pd-enriched surface have significantly enhanced ORR activity and improved CH₃OH tolerance as comparing with Pd/C catalysts.

Electrocatalysis In Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, Li Li, Si-Guo Chen, Xue-Qiang Qi, Yao-Qiong Wang, Meng-Bo Ji, Lan-Lan Li, Zi-Dong Wei

Journal of Electrochemistry

This review presents the study of Chongqing University in electrocatalysis for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).Based on the understanding to the performance degradation of PEMFCs' catalysts,the university has being concentrated on how to increase the activity,stability and utility of noble metal catalysts.It covers the molecular design of near-surface alloy catalysts for improvement of activity to oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and resistance to foreign poison species,selective deposition of Pt on the so-called "three-phase interface" for a high Pt utility,and invention of anti-flooding electrode against water flooding in the catalyst layer of the membrane assemble electrode(MEA),and so on.The catalytic mechanism of electrode reactions …