Electrocatalysis beyond platinum: development of sustainable electrocatalysts

• Grant number: 14/22130-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2017
• End date: July 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Lopes
• Grantee: Thiago Lopes
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Almir Oliveira Neto ; Dolores Ribeiro Ricci Lazar ; Edson Antonio Ticianelli ; Elisabete Inacio Santiago ; Estevam Vitorio Spinacé ; Fabio Coral Fonseca ; Valter Ussui
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/15327-9 - Elucidating the role of transition metals on the formation of active sites on sustainable electrocatalysts, BP.MS; 17/15304-6 - Electrocatalysis beyond platinum: development of sustainable electrocatalysts, BP.JP

Abstract

Electrochemical reactions are ubiquitous, occurring in organisms through, for instance the cellular respiration, in the corrosion of metals, in combustion reactions and many technological applications would be possible if appropriate electrocatalysts were developed. As examples of these applications, there are the increasingly important electrochemical systems capable of suitably performing the conversion of chemical energy direct into electrical energy, e.g. the newly proposed abiotic fuel cell for energy harvesting. However, the actual catalysts, based on platinum, presents limited electrocatalytic activity, are finite, extremely fragile and have been increasingly expensive. In this perspective, the present project proposes the creation of novel electrocatalysts towards new frontiers, such as the important environmental nitrite and nitrate destruction, and the treatment of other wastewaters like vinasse. In addition, the electrocatalysts under proposition are based on the versatile nanostructures of carbon, which are of low cost, renewable and widely available in Brazil, while platinum is not abundant nor explored in Brazil at present. This project has the potential to positively contribute to the field of electrocatalysis towards both environmental and technological applications. Among the applications, the catalysts developed in this project might be used effectively towards the destruction of environmental nitrite, nitrate, treatment of vinasse, as well as, towards fuel cell (regenerative and abiotic) reactions and in chlor-alkali electrolysers, among other frontiers of science to be explored during this project. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DO REGO, ULISSES ALVES; LOPES, THIAGO; BOTT-NETO, JOSE LUIZ; TANAKA, AURO ATSUSHI; TICIANELLI, EDSON ANTONIO. Oxygen reduction electrocatalysis on transition metal-nitrogen modified tungsten carbide nanomaterials. JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, v. 810, p. 222-231, FEB 1 2018. (14/22130-6, 14/50279-4, 13/16930-7, 17/15304-6, 14/09087-4)

BERUSKI, OTAVIO; LOPES, THIAGO; KUCERNAK, ANTHONY R. J.; PEREZ, JOELMA. Investigation of convective transport in the gas diffusion layer used in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. PHYSICAL REVIEW FLUIDS, v. 2, n. 10, OCT 17 2017. (14/22130-6, 13/16930-7, 13/11316-9, 14/50279-4, 11/50727-9, 17/15304-6, 14/09087-4)

ANTONIASSI, R. M.; SILVA, J. C. M.; LOPES, T.; OLIVEIRA NETO, A.; SPINACE, E. V.. Carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles with (100) preferential orientation with enhanced electrocatalytic properties for carbon monoxide, methanol and ethanol oxidation in acidic medium. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, v. 42, n. 8, p. 28786-28796, NOV 30 2017. (14/22130-6, 14/50279-4, 17/15304-6, 14/09087-4)

DO REGO, ULISSES ALVES; SGARBI, RICARDO; LOPES, THIAGO; DOS SANTOS, CLENILTON COSTA; TANAKA, AURO A.; TICIANELLI, EDSON A.. Effect of Substrate and Pyrolysis Atmosphere of FeNx Materials on Electrocatalysis of the Oxygen Reduction Reaction. ELECTROCATALYSIS, v. 12, n. 5, p. 548-563, SEP 2021. (19/22183-6, 17/15304-6, 14/22130-6)

DO REGO, ULISSES A.; LOPES, THIAGO; BOTT-NETO, JOSE L.; GOMEZ-MARIN, ANA M.; TANAKA, AURO A.; TICIANELLI, EDSON A.. Non-Noble Fe-N-x/C Electrocatalysts on Tungsten Carbides/N-Doped Carbons for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction. ELECTROCATALYSIS, v. 10, n. 2, p. 134-148, MAR 2019. (14/22130-6, 13/16930-7, 14/50279-4, 17/15304-6, 14/09087-4)

AMARAL, PAULO H. R.; TORREZ-BAPTISTA, ALVARO D.; DIONISIO, DAWANY; LOPES, THIAGO; MENEGHINI, JULIO R.; MIRANDA, CAETANO R.. A Machine Learning Model for Adsorption Energies of Chemical Species Applied to CO2 Electroreduction. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, v. 169, n. 11, p. 8-pg., 2022-11-01. (17/02317-2, 14/22130-6, 14/50279-4, 17/15304-6, 20/15230-5, 22/03716-6)

LOPES, THIAGO; BERUSKI, OTAVIO; MANTHANWAR, AMIT M.; KORKISCHKO, IVAN; PUGLIESI, REYNALDO; STANOJEV, MARCO ANTONIO; GARCIA ANDRADE, MARCOS LEANDRO; PISTIKOPOULOS, EFSTRATIOS N.; PEREZ, JOELMA; FONSECA, FABIO CORAL; et al. Spatially resolved oxygen reaction, water, and temperature distribution: Experimental results as a function of flow field and implications for polymer electrolyte fuel cell operation. APPLIED ENERGY, v. 252, OCT 15 2019. (16/12397-0, 13/11316-9, 14/50279-4, 14/09087-4, 17/11937-4, 14/22130-6, 17/15304-6)

BIANCOLLI, ANA LAURA G.; LOPES, THIAGO; PAGANIN, VALDECIR A.; TICIANELLI, EDSON A.. PEM fuel cells fed by hydrogen from ethanol dehydrogenation reaction: Unveiling the poisoning mechanisms of the by-products. Electrochimica Acta, v. 355, SEP 20 2020. (16/13277-9, 14/22130-6, 15/09210-3, 13/16930-7, 17/15304-6)

Filed patent(s) as a result of this research project