Electrocatalysis using ionic liquids

• Grant number: 07/01575-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2007
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal researcher: Hamilton Brandão Varela de Albuquerque
• Grantee: Bruno Carreira Batista
• Home Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There is a rising interest in the use of the so-called room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) in electrochemical systems. Particularly to those reactions studied in the field of electrocatalysis, many opportunities can be foreseen with the application of ionic liquids as electrolytes. The goal of this work is to study the electrooxidation of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and formic acid using ionic liquids as electrolytes. To this end, traditional electrochemical tools, such as cyclic voltammetry and cronoamperometry, as well as in situ infrared spectroscopy will be employed. It will be analyzed the effects of the concentration of the different reacting species on the electrooxidation reactions, the poisoning of the electrode, and the adsorption mechanism of water and formic acid. It will be utilized hydrophobic ionic liquids, based on the bis(trifluormethylsulfonyl) anion, and hydrophilic ionic liquids containing BF4- or PF6- anions. The cations involved will be derivatives of imidazolium and piridinium.

Scientific publications

(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)

BATISTA, BRUNO C.; SITTA, ELTON; EISWIRTH, MARKUS; VARELA, HAMILTON. Autocatalysis in the open circuit interaction of alcohol molecules with oxidized Pt surfaces. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, v. 10, n. 44, p. 6686-6692, 2008. Web of Science Citations: 16.