Bridging the Understanding between Oxygen Electrocatalysis Activity and Electrode Stability in Acidic Medium: An Approach Towards Designing Low-cost PEM Fuel cells and Water Electrolyzers

Korelacja między aktywnością katalizatora tlenowego a stabilizacją elektrod w środowisku kwasowym: Podejście do projektowania niskokosztowych ogniw paliwowych PEM i elektrolizerów wodnych


This project is focused to design Iron (Fe) or Nickel (Ni) containing Tantalum oxide (TaOx) and Hafnium oxide (HfOx) nanomaterials for efficient and stable oxygen electrocatalysis application. The desired nanostructured materials will be synthesized by electrochemical methods (i.e., by electrochemical anodization and electrodeposition). The morphology and elemental composition of the materials will be investigated by various sophisticated analytical and spectroscopic techniques; X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The oxygen electrocatalysis properties of the materials will be investigated in acidic electrolytes by employing a computer controlled potentiostat/galvanostat. The relationship between the catalytic activity and electrode stability will be established. We hope such a detailed study of designing highly active Fe/Ni-TaOx and Fe/Ni-HfOx materials and understanding their activity-stability issues will enrich our knowledge of acidic oxygen electrocatalysis. 

This research is part of the project No. 2021/43/P/ST5/02281 co-funded by the National Science Centre and the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 945339.

 

Principal Investigator: Biswaranjan Das Mohapatra


Project location

Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Jagiellonian University
Gronostajowa 2, Krakow 30-387, Poland
www.chemia.uj.edu.pl (faculty website)
www.elektro.chemia.uj.edu.pl (group website) 


Project news

The scholarship holders working in the project will be students:

1. Izabela Darowska
2. Joanna Czopor
3. Kinga Pawlik

 

Contact details

Principal Investigator’s contact details:
Biswaranjan Das Mohapatra, PhD
Assistant professor
Jagiellonian University, 
Department of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry
Gronostajowa 2, Krakow 30 – 387, Poland
E-mail: biswaranjan.mohapatra@uj.edu.pl 
Phone: +48 12 686 25 73 

Project Supervisor/mentor’s contact details:
Prof. dr. hab. Grzegorz Sulka
Jagiellonian University
Department of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry
Gronostajowa 2, 30 - 387 Krakow, Poland
E-mail: sulka@chemia.uj.edu.pl
Phone: +48 12 686 25 18