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They identify the presence of surface species at low potentials in the main fuel cell catalyst, platinum. The finding would impact the understanding of electrochemical reactions in fuel cells and the search for more efficient materials.
An investigation carried out by a collaboration between the University of Alicante (Spain) and the University of Liverpool (United Kingdom) has made it possible to identify the presence of surface species at low potentials in the main catalyst of fuel cells, platinum (Pt ), an important finding for the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology, as reported by the University of Alicante on its website.
In the article “ Investigating the presence of adsorbed species on Pt steps at low potentials ”, published last May in the journal Nature Communications , researchers from the University Institute of Electrochemistry of the University of Alicante indicate that they have identified the adsorption of species of OH (hydroxyl anion) on low-coordination platinum atoms using several electrochemical techniques and a spectroscopic technique known as SHINERS (Shell Isolated Nanoparticles for Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy). The use of SHINERS allowed demonstrating the presence of OH adsorbed at more negative potentials than previously thought.
reduce platinum
The hydrogen (H 2 ) fuel cell has become the next transportation revolution. In these devices, platinum is used to catalyze the reactions inside: the reduction reaction of oxygen in the air and the oxidation reaction of hydrogen produce the electricity that powers the electric vehicle.
Although there are already fuel cell-powered cars, buses and trucks on the market, the high cost of the required platinum is one of the main drawbacks of this technology.
Reducing the amount of platinum needed for fuel cells, or even replacing it with a cheaper and more efficient catalyst, requires a deep understanding, at the molecular level, of how fuel cell reactions occur on the platinum surface.
Until now it was assumed that the platinum surface was "clean", the researchers indicate, from other species to the potentials at which the reactions occur. However, this study has shown that hydroxyl anions are adsorbed on the surface of platinum at very low potentials, which has a significant impact on understanding how the oxygen reduction reaction occurs and the search for more efficient catalysts. for this reaction.
To obtain these results, they used a combination of electrochemical techniques designed to distinguish between the different processes that take place on the surface and Raman spectroscopy, using a very recent development that has made it possible to detect, for the first time, the adsorbed hydroxyl anion.
The postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Electrochemistry of the University of Alicante Rubén Rizo, who has led the electrochemical measurements together with professors Enrique Herrero and Juan Feliú, affirms that "the discovery of hydroxyl adsorbed at low potentials opens a new door in the study of the mechanism of many relevant electrochemical reactions. Thanks to this discovery we are closer to a better understanding of the system that, ultimately, is essential to achieve the ultimate goal of obtaining optimal catalysts for electrochemical applications of technological interest”.
This collaboration has been carried out thanks to the support of the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) and the experience generated through the degradation project of the Faraday Institution (United Kingdom). |
