Condensed-Matter Physics & Materials Science Seminar

The ever increasing consumption of fossil fuels for transportation causes climate change causing a growing concern about their future availability and further adverse environmental effects. To address this issue, the concept of CO2 neutral fuels-based energy cycle was brought out. The key reactions in that concept are electrochemical methanol oxidation (MOR), ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). These all are elctrocatalysis research challenges being slow even at the best catalyst that hamper application of fuel cells, and bring environmental benefits. My research made these improvements of catalysts for the key reactions. In-situ electrochemical infrared reflective absorbance spectrum (EC-IRRAS) reveals that at lower temperature, such reaction is not complete and generates more formate; at elevated temperature, such reaction is complete to carbonate. Ethanol is one of the ideal fuels for fuel cells, but requires highly improved catalysts. Au@PtIr/C catalyst was synthesized with a surfactant-free wet-chemistry approach. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization confirms the monolayer/sub-monolayer Pt-Ir shell, gold core structure. The catalyst has a very high mass activity of 58 A/mg at peak current. In situ EC-IRRAS reveals that C-C bond is cleaved upon contact with the catalyst surface leading to ethanol complete oxidation to CO2. Related researches on methodologies, included in situ TEM to help obtaining catalysts improvements, give morphologic, structural and spectroscopic information at wide range from hundreds of microns to sub-nanometer coupled with various detectors. Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) based chips technology enables TEM observation in operando, with liquid-flow-cell chips and electrochemistry chips designed and fabricated. Ag@Au hollow cubes synthesis via galvanic replacement of Au on Ag cubes was investigated with in situ TEM. The results demonstrate abnormal react