Abstract: The development of efficient, durable and low-cost electrocatalysts is essential for advancing fuel cells, water-splitting technologies and metal-air batteries. Platinum- and iridium-based catalysts exhibit excellent performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, which are key half reactions in these electrochemical processes. The high cost and scarcity of these precious metals, however, drive the search for earth-abundant alternatives.
This seminar explores transition metal-based electrocatalysts for ORR and OER with a focus on the design of single atom catalysts, structure-activity relationships and the use of in situ spectroscopic techniques to investigate electrocatalytic processes and catalyst surface reconstruction. This work focuses on:
- The synthesis of single atom catalysts (M-N-C) by template-free pyrolysis and zinc-imidazolate framework (ZIF).
- The in situ Raman investigation of intermediate species binding and catalyst structural evolution under electrochemical operating conditions.
Overall, this work provides fundamental insights into the design, synthesis and structural evolution of transition metal-based electrocatalysts. By combining rational catalyst design with in situ spectroscopic characterization, this seminar advances the understanding of structure-performance relationships and advancing the development of efficient and sustainable energy conversion technologies.
