Microkinetic study of the electro-oxidation of biofuel-related molecules for the production of hydrogen and electricity

• Grant number: 21/09489-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: September 01, 2021
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Agreement: BG E&P Brasil (Shell Group)
• Principal Investigator: Hamilton Brandão Varela de Albuquerque
• Grantee: Murilo Gomes de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP)
• Associated research grant: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I, AP.PCPE

Abstract

The oxidation of molecules derived from biomass has been used both directly in fuel cells and for the production of clean hydrogen. These processes represent an important alternative for replacing internal combustion engines based on fossil fuels. Despite decades of studies, the interconversion of chemical energy into electrical energy (an object of electrochemistry, and particularly of electrocatalysis) still presents challenges. The electro-oxidation of small organic molecules (up to six carbons, for example) is one of the possibilities studied, with ethanol and glycerol among them, however, practical applications still found technical and economical limitations. Combining experimental and theoretical knowledge to model these complex reactions can help in understanding the kinetics and in the rational development of new catalysts. The objective of this research project is to apply microkinetic analysis to develop models that describe different phenomena observed experimentally in the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol and glycerol under different reaction conditions. A microkinetic analysis describes the temporal variation of intermediate species adsorbed onto the surface of a catalyst throughout a reaction. The knowledge of the degree of coverage for each species then allows the simulation of techniques used in electrochemistry. (AU)

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)

DE OLIVEIRA, M. G.; MELLE, G. B.; ROMANO, R. L.; VARELA, H.. he Impact of Water Concentration on the Electro-Oxidation of Formic Acid on Platinu. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, v. 169, n. 2, FEB 1 2022. (18/23942-5, 20/15230-5, 19/22183-6, 20/03519-0, 21/09489-9)