A reação de redução de oxigênio (RRO) foi estudada em eletrodos lisos de platina e prata recobertos com filmes de quitosana e em eletrodos porosos de Pt/C, Ag/C, MnyOx/C e TiO2/C na ausência e na presença de filmes à base de quitosana, em eletrólito alcalino. Nestes estudos foram empregadas curvas de polarização em estado estacionário, obtidas em eletrodos de disco rotatório (EDR) e em células a combustível alcalina (CCA) unitárias, através das quais foram construídos os correspondentes diagramas de curvas de Tafel e os gráficos de Levich. Os estudos realizados em EDRs permitiram estabelecer-se uma boa compreensão da atividade catalítica e dos mecanismos envolvidos na RRO. Foi observada uma diminuição da atividade eletrocatalítica dos eletrodos metálicos (Pt e Ag lisos e porosos) quando na presença dos filmes de quitosana, havendo também uma mudança no mecanismo da reação. Assim, nos experimentos de EDR verificou-se que em altas densidades de corrente a etapa determinante da velocidade é a adsorção do oxigênio, em contraste com os eletrodos sem o filme para os quais a etapa determinante é a difusão do oxigênio. Nestes casos não foi possível calcular o número de elétr. Já, nos casos dos eletrodos de MnyOx/C e TiO2/C não foi observada nenhuma diminuição significativa na atividade eletrocatalítica destes materiais na presença dos filmes de quitosana, assim como no mecanismo da reação na presença dos filmes (inclusive no número de elétrons envolvidos na reação), apesar de se notar um pequeno aumento nos valores dos coeficientes de Tafel. Foram também realizados testes de alguns dos materiais como cátodos em células a combustível alcalinas unitárias alimentadas com hidrogênio/oxigênio, tendo sido verificado que o desempenho é promissor, apesar de ser inferior ao de células com eletrólito de membrana ácidas. / The oxygen reduction reaction was studied on smooth platinum and silver electrodes recovered with chitosan films and on Pt/C, Ag/C, MnyOx/C e TiO2/C porous electrodes in the presence or absence of chitosan-based films in alkaline electrolyte. These studies were carried out using steady state polarization measurement, obtained in a rotating disc electrode (RDE) and in alkaline fuel cells (AFC) (single cell), from which the corresponding Tafel curves and Levich plots were built. The studies carried out using the RDE had allowed establishing a good understanding of the catalytic activity and of the involved RRO mechanisms. A reduction in the electrocatalytic activity of the metallic electrodes and a change in the reaction mechanism (Pt and Ag smooth and porous) were caused by the presence of the chitosan films Thus, the RDE experiments showed that at high current densities the rate determining step of the ORR is the oxygen adsorption, in contrast to the electrodes without the film for which the rate determining step is the oxygen diffusion. In these cases it was not possible to calculate the number of electrons involved in the reaction. In the cases of the MnyOx/C and TiO2/C electrodes no significant change in the electrocatalytic activity, as well as in the reaction mechanism were caused due to the presence of the films (also in the number of electrons involved in the reaction), although a small increase in the Tafel coefficient values was noted. Also, tests of some of the materials as cathodes in AFC single cells with hydrogen/oxygen were carried out. These results showed that the performance is promising, although inferior to those of acid membrane electrolyte fuel cells.

A dissertação está dividida em duas partes. A primeira trata da eletroquímica fundamental utilizando líquidos iônicos como eletrólito suporte e molécula de estudo. São abordados os fenômenos de estabilidade anódica e catódica, com ênfase no mecanismo de degradação do líquido. Além disso, é apresentado um estudo sobre a oxidação eletrocatalítica de hidrogênio nesse ambiente. Quanto a esse aspecto são abordados aspectos mecanísticos e físico-químicos da reação. Técnicas eletroquímicas, modelagem e simulações numéricas foram utilizadas para investigação e hipotetização dos processos. A segunda parte da dissertação consiste do estudo da interação entre óxidos de platina e alguns compostos orgânicos (ácido fórmico, metanol e etanol). O estudo foi realizado em termos da evolução do potencial de circuito aberto com acompanhamento das espécies reativas através da espectroscopia de infravermelho in situ. Os dados obtidos são analisados sob a luz dos conhecimentos levantados pela área de eletrocatálise e sistemas dinâmicos. Modelagem e simulação do sistema permitiram o entendimento do papel individual das diversas etapas envolvidas sobre o comportamento geral do sistema. / This dissertation is divided on two parts. The first one deals with fundamental electrochemistry employing an ionic liquid as supporting electrolyte and as a subject of study by itself. Phenomena like the anodic and cathodic stability of the liquid, emphasizing its degradation mechanism is presented. It is also shown a study of the electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen in this environment. For this case, efforts were made to unravel mechanistic aspects of the reaction, as well as physical chemical features. Electrochemical techniques and numerical simulations were used for investigation and understanding of that system. The second part presents a study of the interaction between platinum oxides and some organic compounds, namely: formic acid, methanol and ethanol. The study was performed under open circuit conditions by following the temporal evolution of the potential and also the concentration of some chemical species by using in situ infrared spectroscopy. Data were analyzed under the guide of knowledge constructed by the fields of electrocatalysis and dynamical systems. Modelling and simulation allowed understanding the individual role of the various participants species on the global behavior of the system.

Neste trabalho são apresentados resultados de estudos dos efeitos do pH e da atmosfera de síntese de eletrocatalisadores de Pt/C, Ru/C e PtRu/C sobre suas propriedades catalíticas frente à reação de oxidação de hidrogênio (ROH) na presença de CO. Também são comparados os desempenhos destes materiais em configurações eletródicas de misturas físicas de Pt/C + Ru/C, com o intuito de caracterizar o papel de cada catalisador sobre o mecanismo de tolerância ao CO, sobre fenômenos de oscilação do potencial anódico e sobre a produção transiente de metano, particularmente nos materiais de Ru/C. Em conjunto com os resultados experimentais, foram realizadas simulações cinéticas das respostas experimentais de voltametria de stripping de CO e dos experimentos de troca de gás, de forma a entender os processos de oxidação do CO e sua redução a metano, bem como dos efeitos sobre a eletrocatálise da ROH. Pode-se observar claramente elevada tolerância ao CO no sistema eletrocatalítico Pt-Ru/C, destacando-se a maior atividade dos materiais de PtRu/C e Ru/C sintetizados sob atmosfera redutora (H2), assim como a influência dos parâmetros de pH e atmosfera de síntese sobre o desempenho dos materiais de Pt/C. Através dos eletrodos constituídos por misturas físicas de Pt/C + Ru/C, foi possível discutir os efeitos do Ru sobre a atividade catalítica da Pt, verificando-se que a influência do efeito eletrônico é clara sobre os processos de adsorção/dessorção do CO adsorvido na Pt. Os resultados das simulações cinéticas ajudaram a entender os processos de oxidação do CO, identificando-se que em materiais de Pt/C o mecanismo aceito atualmente necessita de revisão em relação às espécies ativas desta reação. As simulações dos experimentos de troca de gás com produção de metano correspondem bem aos resultados experimentais, destacando-se que a influência das variáveis eletroquímicas se dá de forma direta sobre a etapa de hidrogenação do CO. / This work shows results of studies regarding the effects of pH and atmosphere of the synthesis on the electrocatalytic properties of Pt/C, Ru/C and PtRu/C materials for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the presence of CO. The performance of these materials were compared for distinct eletrodic configurations of Pt/C + Ru/C physical mixtures, to characterize the role of each catalyst on the CO tolerance mechanisms, the phenomena of anodic potential oscillations, and the transient methane production, particularly for Ru/C. Comparisons of kinetic simulation data with experimental results were carried out for CO stripping voltammetry and gasexchange results, in order to discuss the CO oxidation and reduction processes, as well as the mechanisms of the HOR electrocatalysis. The CO tolerance effects were clearly observed for all Pt/C-Ru/C electrocatalytic systems, with the PtRu/C and Ru/C materials synthesized under reductive atmosphere (H2) showing the highest activity and the performance of the Pt/C materials shows large dependence on the pH and the synthesis atmosphere. For the electrodes with Pt/C + Ru/C physical mixtures the CO tolerance properties was discussed in terms of the effect of Ru on the electronic properties of Pt, which affects the CO adsorption/desorption process in the Pt sites. The results of the kinetic simulations were useful to understand the CO oxidation processes and to show that the accepted mechanism for the Pt/C material needs some revision regarding the nature of the active species participating in the reaction. The results of the simulations of the gas exchange responses for methane production agree well with the experiments, also evidencing that the effects of the electrochemical variables occurs directly over the CO hydrogenation step.

Neste trabalho foi estudado o efeito da presença do cério em catalisadores de Pt/C e PtSn/C para eletro-oxidação de etanol visando aumentar a eficiência da reação, entender o motivo das variações na atividade catalítica e avaliar a estabilidade destes catalisadores nas condições de operação da célula. Todos os catalisadores foram preparados pelo método do ácido fórmico, os dados de espectroscopia XPS confirmaram as porcentagens nas composições dos catalisadores de PtCe/C e PtSnCe/C. Através das técnicas de TEM e XRD verificou-se que, com exceção da proporção PtCe/C 50:50, todos os outros catalisadores apresentaram tamanho de partícula próximos ao tamanho de cristalito. Os dados de XRD não indicam a presença de liga nos catalisadores de PtCe/C e de PtSnCe/C, mas mesmo em forma de óxido, o estanho apresentou um efeito eletrônico, como informado pelos dados de XAS. A adição de cério promove a oxidação do etanol em menores potenciais que a platina. A adição de estanho ao catalisador PtCe/C teve um efeito benéfico na atividade catalítica promovendo a oxidação em potenciais inferiores aos catalisadores de PtCe/C. A interação de Pt-Sn promove a dissociação da água para formar Sn-OHad próximo a espécies de monóxido de carbono adsorvidas na Pt, facilitando a rápida oxidação de etanol. Os testes de estabilidade indicaram que ao comparar os catalisadores PtSnCe/C com um catalisador comercial de PtSn/C, é possível aferir que a adição de cério promove uma melhora da estabilidade do catalisador. / In this work, the effect of the cerium presence in Pt/C and PtSn/C catalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation was studied to increase the efficiency of the reaction, to understand the variations in catalytic activity and to evaluate the catalysts stability at the cell operating conditions. All catalysts were prepared by the formic acid method, and the XPS data confirmed the percentages in the compositions of the catalyst PtCe/C and PtSnCe/C. The XRD and TEM data showed that, with the exception of the proportion PtCe/C 50:50, all other catalysts showed particle size close to the crystallite size. The XRD data does not indicate the presence of alloy in the PtCe/C and PtSnCe/C catalysts, but even in the form of oxide, tin presented an electronic effect, as reported by the XAS data. The addition of cerium promotes oxidation of ethanol in lower potential than platinum. The addition of tin in this catalyst had a beneficial effect on the catalytic activity, promoting the oxidation in lower potential than the PtCe/C catalysts. The interaction of Pt-Sn promotes the dissociation of water to form Sn-OHad near species of carbon monoxide adsorbed on Pt, facilitating the rapid ethanol oxidation. Stability tests showed when comparing PtSnCe/C catalyst with commercial catalyst PtSn/C, it was possible to determine that the addition of cerium provides an improvement of the catalyst stability.

Comportamento oscilatório manifesta-se em diversas escalas da experiência humana estando presente desde sistemas vivos, como no caso dos ritmos biológicos, até estruturas artificiais como a evolução de preços na bolsa de valores. Em eletroquímica e, em particular, na área de eletrocatálise, oscilações de potencial do eletrodo ou corrente que flui através deste são facilmente observáveis, requerendo apenas condições simples de controle experimental como a aplicação de uma corrente constante ou a utilização de uma resistência externa. Diversos trabalhos na literatura exploram as especificidades do comportamento oscilatório durante a oxidação de moléculas orgânicas importantes para a tecnologia de células a combustível, como metanol, ácido fórmico, etanol, entre outros, algumas vezes fazendo uso de simulações com modelos específicos. Por outro lado, é interessante o uso de modelos gerais para que se possa entender como propriedades comuns a todos os sistemas oscilatórios como frequência oscilatória e amplitude estão relacionadas, por exemplo, com o envenenamento do eletrodo e a recuperação autocatalítica de sítios livres. O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido tanto no âmbito experimental investigando as propriedades da oxidação oscilatória de metanol e etanol, quanto com o uso de simulações utilizando modelos generalistas e avaliando o resultado da introdução de efeitos específicos como o bloqueio da superfície por um veneno catalítico e respectiva liberação através da oxidação da espécie. Determinou-se, especificamente para o estudo de simulação, que o aumento das constantes de bloqueio e oxidação relativas ao veneno produziu duplicação no número de bifurcações encontradas em regime potenciostático, e levou ao aumento da frequência e diminuição da amplitude oscilatórias em regime galvanostático. Ferramentas numéricas foram propostas e validadas para avaliar a velocidade de envenenamento e o grau de harmonicidade das séries temporais. Os experimentos oscilatórios com metanol e etanol revelaram que a primeira molécula apresenta oscilações de maior frequência e menor amplitude. Esse comportamento foi explicado pela maior velocidade de envenenamento observada para a reação de metanol e os resultados demonstraram experimentalmente os achados de simulação numérica. Finalmente, o efeito do bloqueio da superfície por ânions foi estudado através de análise numérica. Determinou-se que a diminuição do tempo total oscilatório quando da adição da espécie é função da maior velocidade de variação do potencial médio e uma expressão relacionando concentração do ânion e tal velocidade foi encontrada. / Oscillatory behavior can be seen at several levels of the human experience stemming from living systems, in the case of biological rhythms, to artificial structures such as the evolution of prices at the market stock. In electrochemistry and, particularly, in the field of electrocatalysis, oscillations of the electrode potential or current can be easily observed and requires only simple experimental control conditions such as applying a fixed value of current or through the use of an external resistance. Several studies found in the literature explore the specificities of oscillatory behavior found during the oxidation of organic molecules that are important for the development of the technology of fuel cells, such as methanol, formic acid, ethanol, among several others, some of those studies even making use of numerical simulations for specific models. On the other hand, it is interesting to explore general models that can embrace oscillatory properties that are common to several systems such as how frequency and amplitude relate to the dynamics of surface poisoning and the autocatalytic recovery of free sites. The work presented in this thesis was developed on an experimental basis with the investigation of oscillatory properties for the reactions of methanol and ethanol, as well as theoretical one, with the proposal and use of general models and the evaluation of specific effects such as surface blockage by a catalytic poison and surface recovery through its oxidation. The simulation study determined specifically that increasing the rates of surface blockage and poison oxidation would duplicate the amount of oscillatory regions found in the bifurcation diagrams for potentiostatic conditions. For the galvanostatic one, it was found that the increase in the rate of those velocities would increase the frequency of oscillations and decrease their amplitudes. Numerical tools were proposed and validated to evaluate the velocity of poisoning and the degree of harmonicity of the time series. Oscillatory experiments employing methanol and ethanol revealed that the first molecule display oscillations with higher frequency and lower amplitude than for ethanol. This behavior was explained by the greater degree of self-poisoning observed for the methanol reaction and the results were comparable to those found in the numerical study. Finally, the effect of a surface blocking anion was studied with the use of numerical analysis. It was determined that the decrease in total oscillatory duration when the anion was added was the result of a greater rate of change of the average potential. An expression relating both quantities was devised.

Estudos com eletrodos modificados foram conduzidos utilizando dois sistemas porfirínicos supramoleculares diferentes. O primeiro foi baseado na modificação de eletrodo de carbono vítreo com uma porfirina de níquel tetrarrutenada, [NiIITPyP{RuII(bipy)2Cl}4]4+. A modificação do eletrodo foi realizada por meio de sucessivos ciclos voltamétricos em meio alcalino (pH 13), gerando um eletrodo com característica similar a eletrodos modificados com α-Ni(OH)2. A caracterização química do filme formado foi realizada através das técnicas de voltametria cíclica, ressonância paramagnética eletrônica, espectroscopia eletrônica por reflectância e espectroscopia Raman com ensaio espectro-eletroquímico. Os resultados sugerem a formação de um polímero de coordenação, [µ-O2-NiIITPyP{RuII(bipy)2Cl}4]n, composto por subunidades porfirínicas ligadas entre si por pontes µ-peroxo axialmente coordenadas aos átomos de níquel (Ni-O-O-Ni). O crescimento do filme apresentou dependência da alcalinidade do meio pela formação do precursor octaédrico [Ni(OH)2TRPyP]2+ em solução, pela coordenação de OH- nas posições axiais do átomo de níquel. O processo de eletropolimerização indicou a participação de radical hidroxil, gerado por oxidação eletrocatalítica da água nos sítios periféricos da porfirina contendo o complexo de rutênio. O mesmo eletrodo foi aplicado como sensor eletroquímico para análise amperométrica de ácido fólico em comprimidos farmacêuticos. O sensor foi associado a um sistema de Batch Injection Analysis (BIA) alcançando considerável rapidez e baixo limite de detecção. Para as análises das amostras também foi proposto um método para a remoção da lactose, que agia como interferente. O segundo estudo envolveu a modificação de eletrodos de carbono vítreo com diferentes hemoglobinas, naturais (HbA0, HbA2 e HbS) e sintéticas (Hb-PEG5K2, αα-Hb-PEG5K2 e BT-PEG5K4), para a avaliação da eficiência na redução eletrocatalítica de nitrito mediada por FeI-heme. Os filmes foram produzidos pela mistura de soluções das hemoglobinas com brometo de didodecildimetiltrimetilamônio (DDAB), aplicados nas superfícies com consecutiva evaporação, formando filmes estáveis. Os valores de potencial redox para os processos do grupo heme e a sua associação com a disponibilidade do grupo na proteína foram avaliados por voltametria cíclica. Os valores das constantes de velocidade, k, para redução de nitrito foram obtidos por cronoamperometria em -1,1 V (vs Ag/AgCl(KCl 3M)) que foram utilizados para estudo comparativo entre as espécies sintéticas para eventual aplicação clínica. / Studies with modified electrodos were conducted using two different supramolecular porphyrin systems. The first one was based on the modification of glassy carbon electrode with a tetraruthenated nickel porphyrin, [NiIITPyP{RuII(bipy)2Cl}4]4+. The electrode modification was carried out through successive voltemmetric cycles in alkaline media (pH 13), generating an electrode with feature similar to α-Ni(OH)2 modified electrodes. The chemical characterization of this film was performed by cyclic voltammetry, electronic paramagnetic resonance, reflectance electronic spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy with spectroelectrochemistry assay. The results suggested the formation of a coordination polymer, [µ-O2-NiIITPyP{RuII(bipy)2Cl}4]n, composed by porphyrin subunits linked by µ-peroxo bridges axially coordinated to nickel atoms (Ni-O-O-Ni). The film growth showed dependence of the alkaline media by the formation of octahedral precursor [Ni(OH)2TRPyP]2+ in solution by way of axial coordination of OH- to the nickel atoms. The electropolymerization process showed to have a contribution from hydroxyl radicals, generated by electrocatalytic oxidation of water on the peripheral sites containing the ruthenium complexes. The same electrode was applied as an electrochemical sensor for amperometric analysis of folic acid in pharmaceutical tablets. The sensor was associated to a Bath Injection Analysis (BIA) system, achieving good sampling frequency and low detection limit. For the samples analysis, it was also proposed a method for lactose removal. The second study comprises the modification of glassy carbon electrodes with different hemoglobin species, of natural occurrence (HbA0, HbA2 e HbS) and synthetics (Hb-PEG5K2, αα-Hb-PEG5K2 e BT-PEG5K4) for evaluation of efficiency on electrocatalytic reduction of nitrite mediated by FeI-heme. The films were produced by mixing solutions of the hemoglobins with didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), applied on the surfaces with following solvent evaporation, forming stable films. The redox potential values for the heme group processes and the heme availability in the protein were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. The reaction rate constants, k, for nitrite reduction were obtained by chronoamperometry at -1,1 V, which were used for comparative study between the synthetic species for further clinical applications.

Les piles à combustible sans membrane polymérique comme les piles à combustible microfluidique ont des perspectives très intéressantes pour des applications énergétiques à basse puissance. L'étude menée consistait donc à poursuivre le développement de catalyseurs cathodiques nanométriques pouvant être utilisés en tant que cathode dans une pile à combustible microfluidique directe. Au cours de ce travail de thèse, une modification du comportement catalytique du platine a été réalisée grâce à un effet de support, d'alliage avec un métal de transition 3d (titane), ou bien encore par coordination de la surface de nanoparticules de platine avec un élément chalcogène (sélénium). Les effets induits par ces modifications sur les propriétés électroniques du matériau catalytique, et leurs implications sur son activité catalytique ont été étudiés au même titre que sa stabilité et sa tolérance vis-à-vis de petites molécules organiques. Les études ont été menées dans le but de présenter un nouveau paradigme des relations structure-activité, structure-stabilité et structure-tolérance gouvernant le comportement catalytique d'une surface de platine. Les expériences ont par voie de conséquence été conduites de façon à pouvoir séparer les effets catalytiques induits par le support, de ceux induits par un effet d'alliage ou bien encore par coordination des atomes de surface avec un élément chalcogène. En conclusion, ces études ont démontrés l'effet de l'interaction du métal avec le support (oxyde ou matériau carboné présentant divers degrés de graphitisation) sur l'activité et la stabilité des catalyseurs. Un autre point important, qui a été développé dans ce travail de thèse, est la modif / Fuel cells without polymeric membrane such as the microfluidic fuel cells (MFFC) possess very interesting perspectives for low-power energy applications. The study aimed at pursuing the development of nanometric cathodic catalysts and to study their activity, stability and tolerance in a microfluidic system. In the present thesis, the activity, stability and tolerance of Pt-based nanoparticle electrocatalysts were investigated. The effect of the support materials and the influence of surface modification by a second element including 3d transition metal (titanium) and chalcogenide (selenium) were studied. The separation and reduction of the complexity of the interaction between nanoparticles-support and nanoparticles modification by a second element enables to achieve a clear relationship of the structure-activity-stability-tolerance of the supported fuel-cell electrocatalysts. The present experimental results from the effects of the support materials and of the modification of Pt by a second element led to improve activity, stability and tolerance. The developed approach and acquired knowledge about surface property correlation can be further generalized and used in the design of advanced selective electrocatalysts. Furthermore, the synthesized electrocatalysts were used as cathode in an organic microfluidic fuel cell.

La synthèse de catalyseurs sans métaux nobles est une voie prometteuse pour rendre accessible à l’échelle mondiale les piles à combustible. L’analyse électrochimique de ces matériaux n’est pas aisée que ce soit pour comparer les propriétés électro catalytiques ou pour comprendre le fonctionnement de ces catalyseurs. Ceci provient du fait que la communauté scientifique évalue les performances catalytiques à l’échelle du matériau, donc sur un très grand nombre d’objets dont la réponse est moyennée. Les travaux présentés dans ce mémoire ont mis en place une méthode d’analyse de l’activité électrocatalytique de matériaux sans métaux nobles pour la réduction de l’oxygène en milieu acide par microscopie électrochimique à balayage. Cette approche permet d’étudier aussi bien macroscopiquement que microscopiquement les catalyseurs et d’étudier simultanément plusieurs catalyseurs, ce qui rend plus fiable la comparaison des résultats. Le dispositif présenté dans ce travail a permis de comparer différents catalyseurs avec des compositions proches ainsi que d’étudier l’influence de différentes paramètres sur un catalyseur : le chargement, la surface, la masse déposée et la quantité de Nafion ajoutée. Il a aussi été montré qu’il était possible d’étudier la stabilité des catalyseurs via ce dispositif. Ces différents résultats suggèrent que la méthode mise en place est polyvalente et permettra de nombreuses autres études. / The decrease of fuel cells cost is necessary to provide a worldwide access to the technology. Synthesis of noble metal-free catalysts is a promising way to achieve this goal. The electrochemical analysis of these materials is however not easy either to compare the electrocatalytic properties or to understand the performances of these catalysts. The scientific community generally studies catalysts at a macroscale, where the recorded response is averaged on a very large number of catalytic objects. The works presented here shows the setup of a method to analyze the electrocatalytic activity of noble metal-free catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction in acidic media by scanning electrochemical microscopy. This method brings several advantages such as the possibility to study and compare multiple catalysts on the same sample at a macro- or a microscale. The comparison of several catalysts with this setup is then. A catalyst has been studied under various conditions of: loading, surface area, weight of catalyst and quantity of additives such as Nafion. The investigation of the material stability is also illustrated. These results suggest large range of application of the technique and many possibilities in the future are now open to investigated noble metal-free electrocatalytic materials.

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have emerged as a promising renewable emission-free technology to solve the worldwide increasing demand for clean and efficient energy conversion. Despite large efforts in academia and automotive industry, the commercialization of PEFC vehicles still remains a great challenge. Critical issues are high material costs, insufficient catalytic activity as well as longterm durability. Especially due to the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), high Pt loadings on the cathode are still necessary which leads to elevated costs. Alloys of Pt with other less precious metals (Co, Ni, Fe, Cu, etc.) show improved ORR activities compared to pure Pt catalysts. However, state-of-the-art carbon-supported catalysts suffer from severe Pt and carbon corrosion during the standard operation of PEFCs, affecting their reliability and long-term efficiency. Multimetallic aerogels constitute excellent candidates to overcome these issues. Due to their large open pores and high inner surface areas combined with electrical conductivity, they are ideal for applications in electrocatalysis. In addition, they can be employed without any catalyst support. Therefore, the fabrication of bimetallic Pt-M (M=Ni, Cu, Co, Fe) aerogels for applications in fuel cell catalysis was the focus of this thesis. Based on a previously published synthesis for Pt–Pd aerogels, a facile one-step procedure at ambient conditions in aqueous solution was developed. Bimetallic aerogels with nanochain diameters of as small as 4 nm and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of up to 60 m2/g could be obtained. Extensive structure analysis of Pt–Ni and Pt–Cu aerogels by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX) and electrochemical techniques showed that both metals were predominantly present in their metallic state and formed homogeneous alloys. However, metal (hydr)oxide byproducts were observed in aerogels with higher contents of non-precious metal (>25 %). Moreover, electronic and geometric structures were similar to those of carbon-supported Pt alloy catalysts. As a result, ORR activites were comparable, too. A threefold improvement in surface-specific activity over Pt/C catalysts was achieved. The mass-specific activites met or exceeded the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) target for automotive PEFC applications. Furthermore, a direct correlation between non-precious metal content in the alloy and ORR activity was discovered. Aerogels with nonprecious metal contents >25% turned out to be susceptible to dealloying in acid leaching experiments, but there was no indication for the formation of extended surface structures like Pt-skeletons. A Pt3Ni aerogel was successfully employed as the cathode catalyst layer in a differential fuel cell (1 cm2), which is a crucial step towards technical application. This was the first time an unsupported metallic aerogel was implemented in a PEFC. Accelerated stress tests that are usually applied to investigate the support stability of fuel cell catalysts revealed the excellent stability of Pt3Ni alloyed aerogels. In summary, the Pt alloy aerogels prepared in the context of this work have proven to be highly active oxygen reduction catalysts with remarkable stability.

La criticité du réchauffement climatique incite à chercher des solutions pour réduire les émissions de dioxyde de carbone (CO₂). Le développement de catalyseurs qui peuvent aider à capturer, activer, réduire et valoriser le CO₂ est au cœur de ce défi. Cette thèse a répondu à cet appel en développant des mimétismes moléculaires inspirés de la Nature, dans le cadre plus large de la photosynthèse artificielle. Au début il s'agissait de suivre le parcours d'un photon de lumière visible et de déterminer comment il peut réduire la molécule de CO₂. Ensuite afin de réaliser des catalyseurs plus efficaces, de nouvelles molécules ont été synthétisées en s’inspirant de l’enzyme CO déshydrogénase (CODH) qui présente des performances exceptionnelles pour la réduction du CO₂. Enfin, une autre propriété du CODH a conduit à une validation de principe pour la valorisation immédiate du CO photo-produit dans la synthèse des liaisons amides marqués, une caractéristique courante des médicaments. / The criticality of global warming urges for the advancement of science to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in the atmosphere. At the heart of this challenge is the development of sustainable catalysts that can help capture, activate, reduce, and eventually valorize CO₂. This PhD work tried to respond to this call by developing molecular mimics inspired by natural systems in the larger scheme of artificial photosynthesis. Firstly, it involved tracking the journey of a photon of visible light and how it is transformed to a reducing power able to reduce CO₂. Secondly, in search for more efficient and stable catalysts, new mimics were synthesized inspired by the exceptional performance of CO dehydrogenase enzymes (CODH) in reducing CO₂. Lastly, further understanding of CODH also led to a proof-of-concept that directly valorizes the photo-produced CO for the synthesis of isotopically-labelled amide bonds, a common motif in pharmaceutically-relevant drugs.