{"id":81377,"date":"2024-11-20T14:31:54","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T13:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfa.uwr.edu.pl\/?p=81377"},"modified":"2024-11-20T14:32:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T13:32:00","slug":"innovative-electrocatalysts-for-hydrogen-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfa.uwr.edu.pl\/en\/2024\/11\/20\/innovative-electrocatalysts-for-hydrogen-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative electrocatalysts for hydrogen production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Grafika
Concept graphic showing the cr-EC-STM method. Hydrogen evolution reaction occurs on the catalyst surface (bottom left) while the tip positioned above the surface (upper right) records the tunneling current along with the noise produced by the reactions taking place. Author of the graphic: T. Kosmala<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n

Innovative electrocatalysts for hydrogen production<\/h1>\n\n\n

Another success for the scientists from the Institute of Experimental Physics UWr! The University of Wroc\u0142aw informs that after the publication in Nature Catalysis they publish their studies on electrocatalysts for hydrogen production on the pages of the prestige journal JOULE (IF: 41.248).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

The development of a green, alternative hydrogen economy based on hydrogen production by the electrochemical process of water splitting is dependent on effective, stable, and economical electrocatalysts. Currently, the materials commonly applied in constructing catalysts are platinoids. Those elements show the best catalytic properties to date, however they are very scarce, which affects their high price. Additionally, mining new platinum and its recycling contribute significantly to CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of electrolysers. Currently a few strategies are applied to decrease the demand or totally replace precious metals while maintaining or even increasing the performance of those devices. Platinum alloys, nanostructural catalysts (e.g. core-coating), metals outside the platinum group, carbides and halides of transition metals, or nitrides and phosphides are introduced. Developed innovative catalysts based on the above mentioned new materials are mainly optimised by the empirical method of \u201ctrial & error\u201d, which considerably slows the development of green energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As JOULE reports, a group of researchers engaged in development of catalysts for hydrogen production reactions published another study using a new methodology first presented in Nature Catalysis. The cr-EC-STM method allows for a rational optimisation of catalytic materials. One of the authors of the study is dr Tomasz Kosmala from the Institute of Experimental Physics of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Wroc\u0142aw, who in collaboration with a research group from the University in Padova, headed by prof. Stefano Agnoli, published studies titled Atom-by-atom identification of catalytic active sites in operando conditions by quantitative noise detection<\/em>. This paper details a quantitative method based on noise analysis of quantum tunnel current recorded during image acquisition with atomic resolution using EC-STM. This method, going beyond the current state of knowledge, allows not only to provide new information on the atomic structure of catalytic sites, but above all to evaluate the catalytic activity of single atoms using proposed quantitative descriptors such as local overpotentials and local Tafel line gradients.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n
\r\n