In this study the focus was on the electrochemical techniques and aspects behind the establishment of the better catalyst (platinum or gold) for the sulphur dioxide oxidation reaction (SDOR). One of the primary issues regarding the SDOR is the catalyst material, thus the comparative investigation of the performance of platinum and gold in the SDOR, as found in this study. Ultimately, the SDOR could lead to an effective way of producing hydrogen gas, which is an excellent energy carrier. The electrochemical application of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is an integral part of the catalytic process of water electrolysis, and by using fuel cell technology, it becomes even more relevant to this study and can therefore be used as a control, guide and introduction to the techniques required for electrochemical investigation of catalyst effectiveness. Subsequently, the EOR as well as the ORR was used as introduction into the different electrochemical quantification and qualification techniques used in the electrochemical analyses of the SDOR. Considering the ORR, gold showed no viable activity in acidic medium, contrarily in alkaline medium, it showed good competition to platinum. Gold also lacked activity towards the EOR in acidic medium compared to platinum, with platinum the best catalyst in both acidic and alkaline media. Ultimately, platinum was established to be the material with better activity for the ORR with gold a good competitor in alkaline medium, and platinum the better catalyst for the EOR in both acidic and alkaline media. With the main focus of this study being the SDOR, gold proved to be the best catalyst in salt and gaseous forms of SO2 administration compared to platinum when the onset potential, maximum current density, Tafel slope and number of electrons transferred are taken into consideration. The onset potential was determined as 0.52 V vs. NHE for both platinum and gold using SO2 gas and 0.54 V and 0.5 V for gold and platinum respectively, using Na2SO3 salt. The maximum current density using gaseous SO2 for platinum at 0 RPM was 400 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 891 mV/decade whereas gold had a maximum current density of 300 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 378 mV/decade. Using Na2SO3 salt, the maximum current density of gold was 25 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 59 mV/decade whereas platinum only achieved 18 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 172 mV/decade. Concerning the number of electrons transferred, gold achieves a transfer of 2 while platinum only 1 for both SO2 gas and Na2SO3 salt. Taking all these summarised determinations into account, gold was established to be a very competitive catalyst material for the SDOR, compared to platinum. / MSc (Chemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In this study the focus was on the electrochemical techniques and aspects behind the establishment of the better catalyst (platinum or gold) for the sulphur dioxide oxidation reaction (SDOR). One of the primary issues regarding the SDOR is the catalyst material, thus the comparative investigation of the performance of platinum and gold in the SDOR, as found in this study. Ultimately, the SDOR could lead to an effective way of producing hydrogen gas, which is an excellent energy carrier. The electrochemical application of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is an integral part of the catalytic process of water electrolysis, and by using fuel cell technology, it becomes even more relevant to this study and can therefore be used as a control, guide and introduction to the techniques required for electrochemical investigation of catalyst effectiveness. Subsequently, the EOR as well as the ORR was used as introduction into the different electrochemical quantification and qualification techniques used in the electrochemical analyses of the SDOR. Considering the ORR, gold showed no viable activity in acidic medium, contrarily in alkaline medium, it showed good competition to platinum. Gold also lacked activity towards the EOR in acidic medium compared to platinum, with platinum the best catalyst in both acidic and alkaline media. Ultimately, platinum was established to be the material with better activity for the ORR with gold a good competitor in alkaline medium, and platinum the better catalyst for the EOR in both acidic and alkaline media. With the main focus of this study being the SDOR, gold proved to be the best catalyst in salt and gaseous forms of SO2 administration compared to platinum when the onset potential, maximum current density, Tafel slope and number of electrons transferred are taken into consideration. The onset potential was determined as 0.52 V vs. NHE for both platinum and gold using SO2 gas and 0.54 V and 0.5 V for gold and platinum respectively, using Na2SO3 salt. The maximum current density using gaseous SO2 for platinum at 0 RPM was 400 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 891 mV/decade whereas gold had a maximum current density of 300 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 378 mV/decade. Using Na2SO3 salt, the maximum current density of gold was 25 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 59 mV/decade whereas platinum only achieved 18 mA/cm2 with a Tafel slope of 172 mV/decade. Concerning the number of electrons transferred, gold achieves a transfer of 2 while platinum only 1 for both SO2 gas and Na2SO3 salt. Taking all these summarised determinations into account, gold was established to be a very competitive catalyst material for the SDOR, compared to platinum. / MSc (Chemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Neste trabalho investigou-se a oxidação de álcoois (etanol e glicerol) em meio alcalino empregando diferentes catalisadores de metais nobres suportados em carbono Vulcan preparados através da síntese de irradiação de micro-ondas, para aplicação em dispositivos de células a combustível. Neste âmbito, catalisadores suportados em carbono na razão metal:carbono de 40:60 % foram preparados com dois metais nobres: catalisadores a base de Pt(PtM/C, M=Sn, Ru e Ni); e catalisadores a base de Pd(PdM/C, M=Sn, Ru, Ni, Rh, Fe e Mn). Os resultados de EDX revelaram que todos os catalisadores apresentam composições experimentais próximas às nominais. Todos os catalisadores apresentaram características dos respectivos metais nobres; geometria cúbica de face-centrada. Catalisadores de Pd54Fe46/C, Pd71Ru29/C também apresentaram fases isoladas dos óxidos de rutênio e ferro,a fase de Pd2Sn também está presente nos catalisadores contendo Sn. Cristalitos e partículas na ordem de 2 a 7 nm foram observados. Dentre os diversos catalisadores estudados para a oxidação de etanol ([Etanol]=1,0 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1,0 mol L-1), o catalisador Pt45Sn55/C apresentou maior atividade, formando ácido acético e acetaldeído em quantidade superiores aos demais catalisadores. Já para catalisadores a base de Pd, Pd54Fe46/C e Pd63Sn37/C apresentaram resultados eletroquímicos muito semelhantes, porém, em relação aos produtos formados durante a eletrólise, o catalisador Pd54Fe46/C formou 3 vezes mais ácido acético(4 elétrons). Para a eletro-oxidação de glicerol em meio alcalino ([Glicerol]=0,5 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1,0 mol L-1), o catalisador Pt86Ru14/C foi o que apresentou os maiores valores de atividades catalíticas. Os principais produtos formados durante as eletrólises de glicerol foram ácido glicérico, ácido tartrônico, 1,3-dihidroxiacetona (DHA), a quantidade de produtos formados pelo catalisador Pt86Ru14/C foi, aproximadamente, três vezes superiorao catalisador Pt/C. A formação de um produto de maior valor agregado, 1,3-DHA, é interessante do ponto de vista eletrossíntético. A seguinte ordem de reatividade é observada para os catalisadores de Pd: PdRu/C >PdFe/C >PdMn/C >PdRh/C >PdSn/C. Dentre os produtos formados na oxidação de glicerol somente para os catalisadores PdRh/C e PdFe/Cidentificou-se ácido tartrônico (6 elétrons) e 1,3-DHA (2 elétrons) / In this thesis it was investigated ethanol and glycerol oxidation in alkaline medium using different noble metal catalysts supported on Vulcan carbon prepared by microwave irradiation synthesis, for application in fuel cell devices. In this context, catalysts in the ratio metal:carbon 40:60% were prepared using two noble metals: Pt-based catalysts (PtM/C, M = Sn, Ru and Ni); and Pd-based catalysts (PdM/C, M = Sn, Ru, Ni, Rh, Fe and Mn). The experimental compositions obtained by EDX were close to nominal values. All the catalysts exhibited cubic face-centered geometry characteristics of its respective noble metal. Catalysts Pd54Fe46/C and Pd71Ru29/C also presented of iron and ruthenium oxides phases, Pd2Sn phase is also observed for Pd61Sn39/C catalyst. Particles and crystallites around 2 to 7 nm were observed. Among all catalysts studied for ethanol electro-oxidation ([Ethanol]=1.0 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1.0 mol L-1), Pt45Sn55/C catalyst was the most active, the yield of acetic acid and acetaldehyde are higher for this composition. Pd-based catalysts, Pd54Fe46/C and Pd61Sn39/C showed very similar electrochemical behavior; however, for Pd54Fe46/C catalyst the amount of acetic acid (4 electrons) formed are three times higher. Pt86Ru14/C catalyst presented the highest catalytic activities for glycerol electro-oxidation ([glycerol]=0.5 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1.0 mol L-1). The main products formed during glycerol electrolysis were glyceric acid, tartronic acid, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the amount of products formed employing Pt86Ru14/C catalyst was almost three times higher than Pt/C catalyst. The formation of a product with higher added-value, 1,3-DHA, is interesting in electro-synthetic point of view. The reactivity order were observed for Pd catalysts are: PdRu/C > PdFe/C > PdMn/C > PdRh/C > PdSn/C. Tartronic acid (6 electrons) and 1,3-DHA (2 electrons) were only identified at PdRh/C and PdFe/C catalysts

Submitted by Maria Aparecida (cidazen@gmail.com) on 2017-11-16T13:16:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSÉ RIBAMAR NASCIMENTO DOS SANTOS.pdf: 1283725 bytes, checksum: 4c5d6eba4cec82d8cb883aa89b0a81f6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-16T13:16:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSÉ RIBAMAR NASCIMENTO DOS SANTOS.pdf: 1283725 bytes, checksum: 4c5d6eba4cec82d8cb883aa89b0a81f6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-19 / CAPES / The electro-oxidation of ethanol was evaluated on a pyrolytic graphite electrode (PGE) chemically modified with the nickel(II)-bis(1,10-phenanthroline) complex (Ni(II)(Phen)2) supported on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) (rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2/PGE). The Ni(II)(Phen)2 complex, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and the rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2 composite were prepared and characterized by the techniques of Spectroscopy in the UV-Vis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Diffraction of X-rays. The electrocatalytic activity of the material was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. In alkaline solution, the voltamograms obtained for rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2/PGE showed the formation of well defined redox peaks associated with the Ni(II)/Ni(III) redox couple. The results showed that the RGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2 composite significantly increases the electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation compared to the electrode modified only with the Ni(II)(Phen)2 complex. Using the Laviron theory, the charge transfer rate constant (ks) and the electron transfer coefficient (α) of the electrode reaction were calculated to be 0.56 s-1 and 0.61, respectively. A investigation of the electro-oxidation of ethanol was performed by evaluating the effect of different parameters such as potential scan rate, OH- concentration and alcohol concentration. The chronoamperometric experiments were used to determine the diffusion coefficient of ethanol (D = 4.7 Χ 10-6 cm2 s-1) and the catalytic rate constant (kcat = 1.26 Χ 107 cm3 mol-1 s-1). The results obtained in this study clearly indicate the viability of rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2/PGE as an electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation. / A eletro-oxidação do etanol foi avaliada em um eletrodo de grafite pirolítico (PGE) quimicamente modificado com o complexo de níquel(II)-bis(1,10-fenantrolina) (Ni(II)(Phen)2) suportado em óxido de grafeno reduzido (rGO) (rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2/PGE). O complexo Ni(II)(Phen)2, o óxido de grafeno reduzido (rGO), e o compósito rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2 foram preparados e caracterizados pelas técnicas de Espectroscopia na região do UV-Vis, Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier e Difração de Raios X. A atividade eletrocatalítica do material foi avaliada por voltametria cíclica e cronoamperometria. Em solução alcalina, os voltamogramas obtidos para rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2/PGE mostraram processos redox bem definidos associados ao par redox Ni(II)/Ni(III). Os resultados mostraram que o compósito rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2 aumenta significativamente a atividade eletrocatalítica para a oxidação do etanol em comparação com o eletrodo modificado apenas com o complexo Ni(II)(Phen)2 adsorvido na superfície do eletrodo. Usando a teoria de Laviron, a constante de velocidade de transferência de carga (ks) e o coeficiente de transferência de elétrons (α) da reação do eletrodo foram calculados sendo 0,56 s-1 e 0,61, respectivamente. Uma investigação da eletro-oxidação do etanol foi realizada avaliando o efeito de diferentes parâmetros, como a velocidade de varredura do potencial, a concentração de OH- e a concentração de álcool. Os experimentos cronoamperométricos foram utilizados para determinar o coeficiente de difusão do etanol (D = 4,7 Χ 10-6 cm2 s-1) e a constante de velocidade catalítica (kcat = 1,26 Χ 107 cm3 mol-1 s-1). Os resultados obtidos neste estudo indicam, claramente, a viabilidade do rGO/Ni(II)(Phen)2/PGE como eletrocatalisador da oxidação de etanol.

A new class of multimetallic hierarchical aerogels composed entirely of interconnected Ni‐PdxPty nano‐building‐blocks with in situ engineered morphologies and compositions is demonstrated. The underlying mechanism of the galvanic shape‐engineering is elucidated in terms of nanowelding of intermediate nanoparticles. The hierarchical aerogels integrate two levels of porous structures, leading to improved electrocatalysis performance.

L'étude du mécanisme de la réaction d'oxydation de l'éthanol (EOR) a été réalisée sur des électrocatalyseurs bi- et tri-métalliques à base de Pt, Rh et SnO2 sur support carboné à l'aide de méthodes électrochimiques couplées (DEMS, in situ FTIR). Deux importantes problématiques de l'EOR ont été abordées: la déshydrogénation de la molécule d'éthanol et la cassure de sa liaison C-C.L'investigation de certains paramètres expérimentaux, comme l'épaisseur de la couche d'électrocatalyseur, a permis de démontrer q'une couche active épaisse conduit à une meilleure électrooxydation plus complète de l'éthanol en CO2, mais également que l'empoisonnement de l'électrocatalyseur par de très forts adsorbats advient dans l'épaisseur de couche active.Les performances de chaque électrocatalyseur ont été comparées entre elles et ont mis en évidence une meilleure sélectivité de l'EOR sur Pt-Rh-SnO2/C, ainsi que l'engendrement de courants plus élevés à bas potentiel à température ambiante. La tendance est amplifiée à température plus élevée (T = 60 °C). / The study of the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) mechanism was performed on carbon supported bi- and tri-metallic Pt-, Rh-, SnO2-based electrocatalysts via electrochemical coupled techniques (DEMS, in situ FTIR). Two of the most important issues related to the EOR have been broached: the dehydrogenation of the ethanol molecule and its C-C bond breaking.The investigation of some experimental parameters, such as the thickness of the electrocatalyst layer, enabled demonstrating the better complete ethanol electrooxidation into CO2 for large electrocatalysts layers, combined to the enhanced poisoning effect inside the catalyst layer by very strong adsorbates.The performances of each electrocatalyst were compared and evidenced an improved selectivity of the EOR on Pt-Rh-SnO2/C, as well as the generation of higher currents at low potential at room temperature. The tendency was amplified at elevated temperatures (T = 60 °C).

Orientadores: Antonio José Gomez Cobo, César Augusto Moraes de Abreu / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T13:01:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Freire_EleonoraMariaPereiradeLuna_D.pdf: 2485469 bytes, checksum: 5c15bdbbb73bd51d623eb4811e9d2248 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: Os catalisadores à base de paládio apresentam particular interesse para o tratamento de gases de exaustão automotiva, notadamente no caso da combustão do etanol. O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de estudar as propriedades físico- químicas de catalisadores Pd - Fe e Pd - Co suportados em alumina modificada pelo óxido de cério. Para tanto, catalisadores modelo foram preparados através do método de impregnação por via úmida, empregando-se sais precursores à base de nitrato dos metais, e os suportes Al2O3, CeO2 e CeO2/Al2O3. Os catalisadores obtidos tiveram seus teores metálicos determinados por meio de espectrofotometria de absorção atômica, tendo sido caracterizados através de adsorção de nitrogênio (método B.E.T), espectroscopia no infravermelho, difração de raio-X, redução à temperatura programada. Os sistemas preparados foram avaliados pela reação catalítica de oxidação do etanol em fase gasosa em um microreator tubular de leito fixo, operando a pressão atmosférica e a temperatura de 3500 C. Os catalisadores preparados apresentam frações mássicas em torno de 2 % para o Pd, e de 1% para os aditivos Fe ou Co. A adição de Pd, Pd-Fe e Pd-Co aos suportes Al2O3 e CeO2/Al2O3 não levou a modificações, nos volumes dos poros e nas áreas superficiais específicas. Esses resultados mostram que a adição dos metais pouco influenciam nas características texturais. Enquanto para os bimetálicos suportados em céria, há a hipótese da existência de microporos apesar de ter ocorrido diminuições relativas das áreas superficiais específicas os volumes dos poros permanecem constantes. Na reação de oxidação do etanol, os resultados das análises cromatográficas levam a concluir que a introdução dos aditivos cobalto e ferro ao paládio provoca redução de eficiência na conversão do etanol para os sistemas CeO2 e CeO2/Al2O3. A adição do cobalto ao paládio na alumina aumenta a conversão e apresenta alto rendimento para a oxidação do etanol e o catalisador paládio suportado em céria apresenta conversão menor do que o Pd-Co sobre alumina porém rendimentos semelhantes / Abstract: Palladium based catalysts have been, applied at the treatment of the automotive gas exhaustion, particularly in the case of ethanol combustion. In this context, the actual work has the aim to study the physical and chemical properties of the Pd, Pd-Fe and Pd-Co catalysts supported in alumina, ceria and alumina modified by the cerium oxide. The wet impregnation method was used to develop the model catalysts. Precursor salts metal nitrates as well as the supports Al2O3, CeO2 and CeO2/Al2O3, were used for this purpose. The catalysts were characterised by the methods of BET-N2, infrared spectroscopy (I.R), X- ray diffraction (XRD) and reduction at programmed temperature (TPR). The contents of the metal impregnated in the catalysts was quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (A.A.S.). A fixed-bed tubular microreactor was used to evaluate the performance of the catalysts in the oxidation of ethanol in gas phase, at the atmospheric pressure and temperature of 350o C. The mass fractions observed for the palladium catalysts and those that had Fe and Co as additive, were around 2% and 1%, respectively. The addition of the Pd, Pd-Fe and Pd-Co to the alumina support and alumina modified by cerium oxide does not prove modification into they capacity of the porous and surface areas. This results prove that the addition of metals has no power to the textural characteristics. Whereas the supported bimetallic system in ceria has the theory of the existence of micropores despite of a relative decrease of specific surface areas, the capacity of porous remains stable. The ethanol oxidation reaction, and the results of the cromatographicas analysis conclude that the introduction of cobalt and iron into the palladium decreases the efficacy of ethanol conversion into the CeO2 and CeO2/Al2O3 systems. The addition of cobalt into the palladium in alumina increases the conversion and introduces high performance for the ethanol oxidation and the palladium catalyst supported by cerium shows minor , conversion than to the cobalt-palladium upom alumina, but with the same results / Doutorado / Sistemas de Processos Quimicos e Informatica / Doutor em Engenharia Química

Neste trabalho investigou-se a oxidação de álcoois (etanol e glicerol) em meio alcalino empregando diferentes catalisadores de metais nobres suportados em carbono Vulcan preparados através da síntese de irradiação de micro-ondas, para aplicação em dispositivos de células a combustível. Neste âmbito, catalisadores suportados em carbono na razão metal:carbono de 40:60 % foram preparados com dois metais nobres: catalisadores a base de Pt(PtM/C, M=Sn, Ru e Ni); e catalisadores a base de Pd(PdM/C, M=Sn, Ru, Ni, Rh, Fe e Mn). Os resultados de EDX revelaram que todos os catalisadores apresentam composições experimentais próximas às nominais. Todos os catalisadores apresentaram características dos respectivos metais nobres; geometria cúbica de face-centrada. Catalisadores de Pd54Fe46/C, Pd71Ru29/C também apresentaram fases isoladas dos óxidos de rutênio e ferro,a fase de Pd2Sn também está presente nos catalisadores contendo Sn. Cristalitos e partículas na ordem de 2 a 7 nm foram observados. Dentre os diversos catalisadores estudados para a oxidação de etanol ([Etanol]=1,0 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1,0 mol L-1), o catalisador Pt45Sn55/C apresentou maior atividade, formando ácido acético e acetaldeído em quantidade superiores aos demais catalisadores. Já para catalisadores a base de Pd, Pd54Fe46/C e Pd63Sn37/C apresentaram resultados eletroquímicos muito semelhantes, porém, em relação aos produtos formados durante a eletrólise, o catalisador Pd54Fe46/C formou 3 vezes mais ácido acético(4 elétrons). Para a eletro-oxidação de glicerol em meio alcalino ([Glicerol]=0,5 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1,0 mol L-1), o catalisador Pt86Ru14/C foi o que apresentou os maiores valores de atividades catalíticas. Os principais produtos formados durante as eletrólises de glicerol foram ácido glicérico, ácido tartrônico, 1,3-dihidroxiacetona (DHA), a quantidade de produtos formados pelo catalisador Pt86Ru14/C foi, aproximadamente, três vezes superiorao catalisador Pt/C. A formação de um produto de maior valor agregado, 1,3-DHA, é interessante do ponto de vista eletrossíntético. A seguinte ordem de reatividade é observada para os catalisadores de Pd: PdRu/C >PdFe/C >PdMn/C >PdRh/C >PdSn/C. Dentre os produtos formados na oxidação de glicerol somente para os catalisadores PdRh/C e PdFe/Cidentificou-se ácido tartrônico (6 elétrons) e 1,3-DHA (2 elétrons) / In this thesis it was investigated ethanol and glycerol oxidation in alkaline medium using different noble metal catalysts supported on Vulcan carbon prepared by microwave irradiation synthesis, for application in fuel cell devices. In this context, catalysts in the ratio metal:carbon 40:60% were prepared using two noble metals: Pt-based catalysts (PtM/C, M = Sn, Ru and Ni); and Pd-based catalysts (PdM/C, M = Sn, Ru, Ni, Rh, Fe and Mn). The experimental compositions obtained by EDX were close to nominal values. All the catalysts exhibited cubic face-centered geometry characteristics of its respective noble metal. Catalysts Pd54Fe46/C and Pd71Ru29/C also presented of iron and ruthenium oxides phases, Pd2Sn phase is also observed for Pd61Sn39/C catalyst. Particles and crystallites around 2 to 7 nm were observed. Among all catalysts studied for ethanol electro-oxidation ([Ethanol]=1.0 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1.0 mol L-1), Pt45Sn55/C catalyst was the most active, the yield of acetic acid and acetaldehyde are higher for this composition. Pd-based catalysts, Pd54Fe46/C and Pd61Sn39/C showed very similar electrochemical behavior; however, for Pd54Fe46/C catalyst the amount of acetic acid (4 electrons) formed are three times higher. Pt86Ru14/C catalyst presented the highest catalytic activities for glycerol electro-oxidation ([glycerol]=0.5 mol L-1 + [NaOH]=1.0 mol L-1). The main products formed during glycerol electrolysis were glyceric acid, tartronic acid, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the amount of products formed employing Pt86Ru14/C catalyst was almost three times higher than Pt/C catalyst. The formation of a product with higher added-value, 1,3-DHA, is interesting in electro-synthetic point of view. The reactivity order were observed for Pd catalysts are: PdRu/C > PdFe/C > PdMn/C > PdRh/C > PdSn/C. Tartronic acid (6 electrons) and 1,3-DHA (2 electrons) were only identified at PdRh/C and PdFe/C catalysts

Synopsis of the thesis entitled “Titanium Nitride-Based Electrode Materials for Oxidation of Small Molecules: Applications in Electrochemical Energy Systems” submitted by Muhammed Musthafa O. T under the supervision of Prof. S. Sampath at the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry of the Indian Institute of Science for the Ph.D degree in the faculty of science. Fuel cells have been the focus of interest for many decades because of the ever increasing demands in energy. Towards this direction, there have been considerable efforts to find efficient electrocatalysts to oxidize small organic molecules (SOMs) such as methanol, ethanol, glycerol, hydrazine and borohydride that are of potential interest in direct fuel cells. Most studies revolve around platinum which is the best electrocatalyst known for the oxidation of many SOMs. However, platinum is extremely susceptible to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning which is an intermediate in the electrooxidation of aliphatic alcohols. The best known catalyst, platinum-ruthenium alloy (PtRu), suffers from leaching of Ru during cycling resulting in decrease in efficiency in addition to loss of precious metal. Another important aspect of fuel cell catalyst degradation is corrosion of widely-used carbon support, under fuel cell conditions. Corrosion of carbon support weakens the adherence of catalyst particles on the support and in turn results in loss of catalyst and also in its easy oxidation. Carbon corrosion is also reported to decrease the electronic continuity of the catalyst layer. Hence, replacement of carbon support with durable material is required. The present research explores the use of non-carbonaceous, transition metal nitride for anchoring catalytic particles. The favorable physicochemical properties of titanium nitride (TiN) such as extreme hardness, excellent corrosion resistance in aggressive electrolytes, resistance to nearly all chemicals, salt and humidity, very good support for the adherence of fuel cell catalysts and excellent electronic conductivity motivated us to use this material for anchoring fuel cell catalysts such as Pt, PtRu and Pd. In the present studies, TiN coated on stainless steel (SS 304) surface is used as an electrode material. Catalysts such as Pt, Pd and PtRu are anchored on to TiN and used for the oxidation of methanol and ethanol in acidic as well as in alkaline media. Use of bare TiN is explored for the oxidation of sodium borohydride. The efficiency of TiN supported catalysts are compared with carbon supported ones. Preliminary studies on the use of TiN supported catalysts in fuel cells have been conducted as well. Figure 1 shows the topographic atomic force microscopic (AFM) image in combination with scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) image of platinized TiN (Pt-TiN) surface. Since Pt particles are metallic, they are expected to show lower work function values than that of TiN domains which is indeed observed in figure 1B where the location of Pt particles is shown as dip in the work function. Very interestingly, the interface of Pt-TiN possesses very different work function values confirming the existence of metal-support interaction and this is expected to have positive implications in fuel cell catalysis. Figure 1. Contact mode AFM (A) and the corresponding scanning Kelvin probe image (B) of Pt-TiN surface. Figure 2. Cyclic voltammograms of Pt-TiN and Pt-C electrodes in 0.5 M H2SO4 containing 0.5 M methanol at a scan rate of 10 mV/s. Loading of the catalyst used is 1 mg of Pt/cm2. The performance of Pt-TiN and PtRu-TiN are compared with the corresponding carbon supported catalysts (Pt-C, PtRu-C) for the electrooxidation of methanol. Figure 2 shows the voltammograms obtained on Pt-TiN and Pt-C in presence of acidified methanol. TiN supported catalyst performs better than carbon supported catalyst in terms of high currents at low over voltages (based on I-t measurements), long term stability and high exchange current densities (based on Tafel studies). The electrochemical characteristics of methanol oxidation on Pt-TiN and Pt-C catalysts are given in table 1. The current densities observed on TiN supported catalyst are almost three times higher than that of carbon supported catalyst confirming the promoting effect of TiN support towards methanol oxidation reaction. The performance of Pt-TiN electrocatalyst under fuel cell conditions reveals peak power densities close to 396 mW/cm2 at a current density of 375 mA/cm2, at 90C. Table 1. Characteristics of methanol oxidation on TiN and carbon supported catalysts in acidic medium. Material Onset Ep (mV) Ip EAA Ip Ip/Ib E=Ep-Eb potential (mA/mg (cm2/mg)b (mA/cm2 (mV) of Pt)a of Pt)c (mV) Pt-TiN 170 720 56 78.4 0.714 1.24 82 Pt-C 250 700 18 68.6 0.262 0.98 106 a Mass activity; Ip is the forward peak current and Ib is the reverse peak current; Ep and Eb are forward and reverse peak potentials. b Electrochemically active area (EAA) c Current density normalized for EAA Figure 3. In-situ FTIR spectra on bare TiN surface as a function of applied DC bias vs.SCE. The spectra are shown in regions of 1000 to 2000 cm-1 (A) and 2500 to 4000 cm-1 (B). Electrolyte used is 0.5 M methanol in 0.5 M H2SO4. Reference spectrum is obtained at 0 V. In-situ FTIR spectroelectrochemical measurements have been carried out to understand the intermediates and products formed during methanol oxidation. TiN surface is highly reflective and is quite amenable for reflectance IR studies. Figure 3 shows the potential dependant spectral characteristics of TiN in methanolic sulphuric acid. The bands observed at 1600 and 3600 cm-1 correspond to –OH bending and stretching vibrations of adsorbed water molecules. Interestingly, bands corresponding to adsorbed water are observed even at remarkably low over potentials of around 0.1 V vs. SCE where CO poisoning of Pt can be very severe. This experiment confirms the ability of inexpensive TiN to function like expensive Ru in fuel cell catalysis. Similar studies have been carried out for ethanol electrooxidation on TiN supported catalysts such as Pd, Pt and PtRu in acidic as well as alkaline conditions. Adherence of fuel cell catalyst on to TiN and carbon support is followed by cycling the electrode potential continuously as shown in figure 4. The adherence of Pd on TiN surface is very good and the stability tests reveal that Pd adheres and remains on TiN for a long time as compared to carbon support. Figure 4. Cyclic voltammograms of Pd-C (A) and Pd-TiN (B) in 1 M KOH at 100 mV/s. Pd loading used is 83 µg/cm2. In the chapter on borohydride oxidation, bare TiN electrode is used for the electrochemical oxidation of sodium borohydride. In direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFC), H2 evolution that occurs at low over voltages decreases the apparent number of electrons transferred and consequently the fuel cell efficiency. TiN has been shown to be a relatively H2 evolution-free electrocatalyst for borohydride oxidation (figure 5A). As shown in figure 5A, no H2 oxidation is observed (below -0.5 V) on TiN surface with increase in concentration of borohydride. This point to the fact that direct oxidation of borohydride is very favourable on TiN electrode and is confirmed by fuel cell measurements as shown in figure 5B. Non-platinum DBFCs using TiN as the anode (borohydride oxidation) and prussian blue supported carbon (PB-C) as the cathode (oxygen or hydrogen peroxide) electrocatalysts (figure 5B) reveal peak power density of 107 mW/cm2 for a current density 130 mA/cm2, at 80C. Figure 5. Cyclic voltammograms of TiN in 1 M NaOH containing varying concentrations of borohydride at a scan rate of 20 mV/s (A). Polarization studies of DBFC with TiN anode catalyst and PB-C (prussian blue supported on carbon) cathode catalyst (B). Anolyte is 0.79 M borohydride in 5 M NaOH and catholyte is 2.2 M acidified H2O2. The second aspect of the thesis is related to the use of TiN to prepare visible light active, nitrogen doped TiO2 (N-TiO2). This is carried out by electrochemical anodization of TiN in 0.5 M HNO3 at 1.4 V. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggests the formation of oxide phase on anodized TiN surface (figure 6A) and is confirmed by reflectance UV-Visible spectroscopy. The visible light activity is used for the sunlight induced reduction of graphene oxide to reduced graphene oxide. As shown in the Raman spectra (figure 6B), a negative shift of the D and G band positions by about 20 cm-1 and the intensity ratio reversal after reduction confirms the formation of reduced graphene oxide on N-TiO2. Figure 6. (A) Ti (2p) region of XPS of fresh TiN and anodized TiN. Anodization has been carried out at 1.4 V vs. SCE in 0.5 M HNO3. (B) Raman spectra of exfoliated graphene oxide on anodized TiN before and after sunlight induced reduction. In summary, TiN has been shown to be an active support material for fuel cell catalysts in the present studies. The appendix details the basic electrochemical studies on TiN using various redox couples, electroploymerization of aniline and the formation of nanostructures on TiN surface. (For figures pl refer the abstract pdf file)

A new class of multimetallic hierarchical aerogels composed entirely of interconnected Ni‐PdxPty nano‐building‐blocks with in situ engineered morphologies and compositions is demonstrated. The underlying mechanism of the galvanic shape‐engineering is elucidated in terms of nanowelding of intermediate nanoparticles. The hierarchical aerogels integrate two levels of porous structures, leading to improved electrocatalysis performance.