COLL 608 |
| Oxygen reduction is a theme that pervades many areas. Our interest is in the efficacious reduction of oxygen at electrode surfaces, a requirement for efficient fuel cells. In the first part of this talk, we report on our efforts directed at establishing the mechanism of oxygen and peroxide reduction on bare Pt and Cu, and on Au surfaces modified with ordered metal monolayers. By using a combination of spectroscopic, imaging, and x-ray scattering techniques combined with detailed calculations, we have shown that a crucial step involves the spontaneous clevage of the O-O bond to form a mixed metal-hydroxide complex. This hydroxide complex is reduced during the electron transfer event, leading to the product water. The conditions necessary to induce this clevage are now becoming understood. In the second part of the talk, we utilize the insight developed from the mechanistic studies to synthesize new oxygen reduction catalysts developed from nanostructured ensembles of metal ions and polymer. Studies directed at stabilizing the metal ions in the polymeric matrix in acid solution at high potentials and at increasing the activity of the catalyst will be highlighted.
|
|
Physical and Computational Characterization of Nanostructured Electrocatalysts
2:00 PM-4:20 PM, Thursday, 14 September 2006 Sir Francis Drake -- Empire Room, Oral
Division of Colloid & Surface Chemistry |