Use of Carbon Materials in Electrochemical Devices

Carbon materials are used in fuel cells, batteries, electrolyzers, capacitors, and water treatment cells, among many other applications. While generally used for their conductivity and porosity, the surface of these materials can have a large impact on the resulting system properties. In fuel cells, the reactivity of carbon supports can cause premature loss of catalyst lifetime while in water treatment equipment, degree of oxidation and surface functionalization can drastically change the adsorption properties of the surface and the resulting separation. In this talk, various carbon materials will be reviewed that are used in electrochemical devices, including relevant analysis and characterization methods, and applications will be presented where the properties of these materials can be altered to strengthen the performance of the device.

Biography

Dr. Landon received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 2006 and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2011. His primary research focuses on separations including electrochemical interfaces and their relation to overall system properties. He has worked significantly in applications for clean energy including gas separations, water treatment, and chemical production applications, and his interests lie at the intersection of engineering and society. Dr. Landon is a research scientist at UK's Center for Applied Energy Research and has an appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at UK.