Synthesis and Characterization of PGM-Free Catalysts for Fuel Cells

PROJECT NUMBER: 28

AUTHOR: Denali Ibbotson, Chemical and Biological Engineering | MENTOR: Svitlana Pylypenko, Chemistry

ABSTRACT

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The climate is being negatively affected due to the usage of fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, therefore technologies such as fuel cells that convert the chemical energy of the reactants into electricity are being actively investigated. The chemical reactions in the fuel cells require catalysts such as platinum or platinum group metals (PGM), which are expensive and limited in quantity. Therefore, PGM-free catalysts are an active area of research as an inexpensive fuel cell catalyst, however these catalysts are much more complex and heterogeneous than their Pt-based counterparts.
This study focuses on synthesis and characterization of a series of nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres decorated with various transition metals such as nickel, iron, cobalt, and copper. All synthesized materials were evaluated using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), paired with elemental identification using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Differences in the quantity and dispersion of incorporated metal species are observed and related to initial nitrogen speciation.

VISUAL PRESENTATION

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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

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Denali Ibbotson is from Katy, TX and will be completing her BS in Chemical Engineering in May 2021. Her research with the Pylypenko group centers around PGM-free catalysts for fuel cells and she hopes to eventually get involved with more research around sustainable materials. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, as well as swimming and catching up on reading.

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