For this event in the series, Professor Vivek Maheshwari and postdoc Hua Fan from the Next Generation Energy Systems theme will be giving a seminar on:
Electrical double layer as a medium to control material synthesis
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
12:00 p.m.
Online - learn more and register to attend
Abstract
Multi-element materials are catalysts for key processes related to renewable energy such as water splitting for hydrogen generation. While catalyst composition is governed by the relative amounts of the elements, the domain size of each element and their relative spatial distribution critically affects the catalytic performance. By using the electrical double layer (EDL) on colloidal nanoparticles, a simple method to control the domain size of elements in a Pt-Ni based catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is discussed. The HER activity shows that the catalyst with nanoscale size domains of Pt and Ni outperforms one with homogenous distribution of Pt-Ni. The EDL based process also allows for control over the catalyst composition. The developed catalyst at a macro scale is a network of nanowires, which leads to high catalytic performance due to its porous structure with high surface area. Aided by the morphology and the ability to control its composition and structure, the material is also applied for wearable devices to monitor electrophysiological signals.