Please join us for a seminar jointly hosted by WIN and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo featuring Dr. Ahmet Kusoglu.
When: Monday, July 22, 2024
Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: QNC 1501
Abstract
The ongoing efforts to realize clean energy transition toward decarbonization have increased the focus on electrochemical technologies and hydrogen-based fuels. Hydrogen technologies are sought to play a critical role from electrolyzers to produce clean hydrogen via water-splitting to fuel cells to decarbonize heavy-duty transportation. Centerpiece to the successful operation of these technologies is the durable performance of the membrane-electrode assembly systems, which consists of an ion-conducting polymer (ionomer) membrane between the electrodes where electrochemical reactions take place. In addition, ionomers are present in the electrodes as a nanometer-thick film with a dual function of transporting multiple species and acting as catalyst binder. Thus, across these technologies, ionomers serve multiple key functionalities which need to be tuned for improved performance, lower cost, and enhanced durability. Most of the current understanding of ionomers derived from decades-long research on Perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA), the most commonly used proton-exchange membrane (PEM) in fuel cells owing to high proton conductivity and chemical-mechanical durability. PFSAs have been serving as the benchmark ionomer and forming the basis of many commercial membranes, yet the knowledge gained from their integration and durability studies need to be analyzed holistically to guide design of their improved derivatives and development of alternative membranes tailored for specific applications, from heavy-duty fuel cells to low-temperature electrolysis. Thus, it is of interest to revisit the current understanding of PFSAs from a broader perspective by accounting for various applications, operating conditions, and durability stressors. This talk will present an overview of structure-function characterization of ionomers for designing robust membranes and optimizing ionomer-catalyst interfaces supported by various advanced characterization techniques. We will provide examples of data-driven trends on membrane properties and discuss the underlying origins of universal correlations driven by combinatory roles of chemistry, environment and thickness effects. We will also discuss the current research directions as well as the challenges and opportunities related to applicability of current ionomer design space to alternative materials or electrochemical energy conversion systems.
Dr. Ahmet Kusoglu
About the speaker
Ahmet Kusoglu is a Staff Scientist at Berkeley Lab, working on functional materials for hydrogen technologies and electrochemical energy applications. Dr. Kusoglu received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from University of Delaware with graduate fellowship award and joined Berkeley Lab for his post-doc. His research focuses on characterization of ionomers and solid-electrolyte interfaces for energy technologies and understanding related electrochemical-mechanical phenomena. He has been part of multiple U.S. DOE-funded consortia on fuel cells and electrolysis, and currently serves as the Communications Director of the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck Consortium. Dr. Kusoglu has published over 85 peer-reviewed journal publications and 2 book chapters on ionomers, delivered over 50 invited talks and lectures at industry forums, universities, and international meetings, and taught Polymeric Materials course at UC Berkeley. He is the recipient of Srinivasan Young Investigator Award of the Electrochemical Society and ECS Toyota Fellowship. He is also a contributing editor for Electrochemical Society Interface and writes educational articles on Hydrogen and Transportation. His group's current research at Berkeley Lab encompasses modeling and structure-property characterization of ion-containing polymers, thin films, and interfaces to improve their stability and functionalities in electrochemical devices and develop next-generation materials for clean energy technologies.