Advanced Electro-Catalysts for Energy and Biomass Refinery

Advanced Electro-Catalysts for Energy and Biomass Refinery

Zhiyong Zhang, Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, MI

Nanostructured transitional metals have attracted enormous attention for catalysis applications, due to their fascinating electronic properties and unique geographic structures. However, it remains a challenging task to construct nanostructured metallic materials serving as efficient electro-catalysts for chemical - electrical energy conversion and biomass refinery, because of the technical difficulty in precisely controlling their size, shape and composition. My Ph. D research work focuses on developing a solution phase synthesis route to preparing advanced electro-catalysts, including 0-dimentional (0-D) Pt,[1, 2] Pd,[2, 3] Au,[4, 5] Ag, Cu, Ni, Pd_xNi_y nanoparticles (NPs),[3] 1-dimentional Pt_xFe_y nanowires (NWs),[6] and 2-dimentional Pd_xFe_y nanoleaves (NLs),[7] and investigate their electro-catalytic functions. By tailoring their size, structure and composition, Pt_xFe_y-NWs and Pd_xFe_y-NLs have demonstrated high catalytic activities and durabilities towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in both acid and alkaline electrolytes;[6, 7] Pd_xNi_y-NPs have exhibited high activity towards ethanol electro-oxidation,[3] and Pt-NPs and Au-NPs have displayed distinct selectivity towards in electro-catalytic refinery of glycerol - a cheap by-product from biodiesel production, into valuable chemicals, including glyceric acid, tartronic acid, mesoxalic acid, and glycolic acid, etc.[1, 5]

References:

[1] Z. Zhang, L. Xin, W. Li, Electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol on Pt/C in anion-exchange membrane fuel cell: Cogeneration of electricity and valuable chemicals, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 119¨C120 (2012) 40-48.

[2] O. Winjobi, Z.Y. Zhang, C.H. Liang, W.Z. Li, Carbon nanotube supported platinum-palladium nanoparticles for formic acid oxidation, Electrochimica Acta, 55 (2010) 4217-4221.

[3] Z. Zhang, L. Xin, K. Sun, W. Li, Pd¨CNi electrocatalysts for efficient ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolyte, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 36 (2011) 12686-12697.

[4] Z. Zhang, L. Xin, W. Li, Supported gold nanoparticles as anode catalyst for anion-exchange membrane-direct glycerol fuel cell (AEM-DGFC), International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 37 (2012) 9393-9401.

[5] L. Xin, Z. Zhang, Z. Wang, W. Li, Simultaneous Generation of Mesoxalic Acid and Electricity from Glycerol on Au Anode Catalyst in Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, ChemCatChem, (2012). doi: cctc.201200017

[6] Z. Zhang, M. Li, Z. Wu, W. Li, Ultra-thin PtFe-nanowires as durable electrocatalysts for fuel cells, Nanotechnology, 22 (2011), 015602.

[7] Z. Zhang, K. L. More, K. Sun, Z. Wu, W. Li, Preparation and Characterization of PdFe Nanoleaves as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Chemistry of Materials, 23 (2011) 1570¨C1577