10 research outputs found
Electroreduction of carbon dioxide to formate at high current densities using tin and tin oxide gas diffusion electrodes
Abstract
We investigate tin (Sn) and tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticle catalysts deposited on gas diffusion layers for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to formate. The performance and durability of these electrodes was evaluated in a gas-fed electrolysis cell with a flowing liquid electrolyte stream and an integrated reference electrode. The SnO2 electrodes achieved peak current densities of 385 ± 19 mA cm−2 while the Sn electrodes achieved peak current densities of 214 ± 6 mA cm−2, both at a formate selectivity > 70%. The associated peak formate production rates of 7.4 ± 0.6 mmol m−2 s−1 (Sn) and 14.9 ± 0.8 mmol m−2 s−1 (SnO2) were demonstrated for a 1-h electrolysis and compare favorably to prior literature. Post-test analyses reveal chemical and physical changes to both cathodes during electrolysis including oxide reduction at applied potentials more negative than − 0.6 V versus RHE, nanoparticle aggregation, and catalyst layer erosion. Understanding and mitigating these decay processes is key to extending electrode lifetime without sacrificing formate generation rates or process efficiency.
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Enhancing the stability and performance of a battery cathode using a non-aqueous electrolyte
For conductive polymers to be considered materials for energy storage, both their electroactivity and stability must be optimized. In this study, a non-aqueous electrolyte (0.2 M LiClO(4) in acetonitrile) was studied for its effect on the charge storage capacity and stability of two materials used in batteries developed in our laboratory, polypyrrole (pPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiaxoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS). The results are compared to the performance of these materials in an aqueous electrolyte (0.2 M HCl/aq). Loss of ABTS dopant was eliminated principally due to the low solubility of ABTS in acetonitrile, resulting in cathode materials with improved stability in terms of load cycling and performance.close
Investigation of Pulse-Reverse Electrodeposited Copper Electrocatalysts for Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Ethylene
© The Electrochemical Society. This paper discusses the electrodeposition of thin copper (Cu) films on stainless steel substrates using pulse-reverse waveforms and the suitability of such films for electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2to hydrocarbon products such as methane and ethylene. Activation of these Cu layers through thermal oxidation and subsequent electrochemical reduction is also explored as a means of tuning selectivity toward higher hydrocarbons. An appreciable benefit in terms of overall hydrocarbon selectivity versus hydrogen evolution and other undesirable side reactions was observed from the use of pulsed methods, and the use of thermal activation resulted in a strong shift in the hydrocarbon product distribution from methane to ethylene
Electrochemical Reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> at Copper Nanofoams
We
report the electrochemical reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> at copper
foams with hierarchical porosity. We show that both the distribution
of products formed from this reaction and their faradaic efficiencies
differ significantly from those obtained at smooth electropolished
copper electrodes. We attribute these differences to be due to high
surface roughness, hierarchical porosity, and confinement of reactive
species. We provide preliminary evidence in support of these claims
Nickel Hydroxide Nanofluid Cathodes with High Solid Loadings and Low Viscosity for Energy Storage Applications
Nanofluid electrodes with high loading of active solid materials have significant potential as high energy density flow battery electrolytes; however, two key criteria need to be met: they must have a manageable viscosity for pumping and simultaneously exhibit good electrochemical activity. A typical dispersion of nickel hydroxide nanoparticles (~100 nm) is limited to 5–10 wt.% of solids, above which it has a paste-like consistency, incompatible with flow applications. We report on the successful formulation of stable dispersions of a nano-scale nickel hydroxide cathode (β-Ni(OH)2) with up to 60 wt.% of solids and low viscosity (32 cP at 25 °C), utilizing a surface graft of small organic molecules. The fraction of grafting moiety is less than 3 wt.% of the nanoparticle weight, and its presence is crucial for the colloidal stability and low viscosity of suspensions. Electrochemical testing of the pristine and modified β-Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles in the form of solid casted electrodes were found to be comparable with the latter exhibiting a maximum discharge capacity of ~237 mAh/g over 50 consecutive charge–discharge cycles, close to the theoretical capacity of 289 mAh/g
Surface Modification Approach to TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanofluids with High Particle Concentration, Low Viscosity, and Electrochemical Activity
This
study presents a new approach to the formulation of functional
nanofluids with high solid loading and low viscosity while retaining
the surface activity of nanoparticles, in particular, their electrochemical
response. The proposed methodology can be applied to a variety of
functional nanomaterials and enables exploration of nanofluids as
a medium for industrial applications beyond heat transfer fluids,
taking advantage of both liquid behavior and functionality of dispersed
nanoparticles. The highest particle concentration achievable with
pristine 25 nm titania (TiO<sub>2</sub>) nanoparticles in aqueous
electrolytes (pH 11) is 20 wt %, which is limited by particle aggregation
and high viscosity. We have developed a scalable one-step surface
modification procedure for functionalizing those TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles
with a monolayer coverage of propyl sulfonate groups, which provides
steric and charge-based separation of particles in suspension. Stable
nanofluids with TiO<sub>2</sub> loadings up to 50 wt % and low viscosity
are successfully prepared from surface-modified TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles
in the same electrolytes. Viscosity and thermal conductivity of the
resulting nanofluids are evaluated and compared to nanofluids prepared
from pristine nanoparticles. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that
the surface-modified titania nanoparticles retain more than 78% of
their electrochemical response as compared to that of the pristine
material. Potential applications of the proposed nanofluids include,
but are not limited to, electrochemical energy storage and catalysis,
including photo- and electrocatalysis
<i>In Situ</i> Measurement of Voltage-Induced Stress in Conducting Polymers with Redox-Active Dopants
Minimization of stress-induced mechanical
rupture and delamination of conducting polymer (CP) films is desirable
to prevent failure of devices based on these materials. Thus, precise <i>in situ</i> measurement of voltage-induced stress within these
films should provide insight into the cause of these failure mechanisms.
The evolution of stress in films of polypyrrole (pPy), doped with
indigo carmine (IC), was measured in different electrochemical environments
using the multibeam optical stress sensor (MOSS) technique. The stress
in these films gradually increases to a constant value during voltage
cycling, revealing an initial break-in period for CP films. The nature
of the ions involved in charge compensation of pPy[IC] during voltage
cycling was determined from electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance
(EQCM) data. The magnitude of the voltage-induced stress within pPy[IC]
at neutral pH correlated with the radius of the hydrated mobile ion
in the order Li<sup>+</sup> > Na<sup>+</sup> > K<sup>+</sup>. At acidic pH, the IC dopant in pPy[IC] undergoes reversible oxidation
and reduction within the range of potentials investigated, providing
a secondary contribution to the observed voltage-induced stress. We
report on the novel stress response of these polymers due to the presence
of pH-dependent redox-active dopants and how it can affect material
performance