Facilitating, understanding, and controlling the oxygen reduction reaction for fuel cell technology using (1) laccase-inspired tricopper molecular catalysts, (2) a high temperature and pressure reaction vessel, and (3) a hybrid bilayer membrane electrochemical platform

Abstract

The objectives of my thesis were to investigate three major facets of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR: O2 + 4 H+ + 4 e– → 2 H2O). First, I developed new tri-copper catalysts for the ORR with a specific focus on the active site present in multi-copper oxidases, which are the most active enzymes for the ORR. Second, I evaluated the ORR kinetics at high temperature (between 100 and 200 °C) and under pressurized conditions (between 0.7 and 3.4 MPa). Third, I designed and prepared a hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM) electrochemical platform to control the ORR mechanism by modulating the proton flux