Hebe de las Mercedes Villullas

• Abstract

  Renewable sources and alternative technologies are nowadays indispensable for energy production with low environmental impact. Fuel cells are alternative devices that allow substantial efficiency gains and reduction of CO2 emissions. The new perspectives of using anion-exchange membranes as electrolyte in alkaline fuel cells brought about the possibility of producing energy oxidizing fuel…

  Catalysis-nanostructure-properties relations: establishing basis for the design of multifunctional catalysts, AP.R

• Abstract

  The environmentally friendly generation of energy has brought new scientific and technological challenges. Among the various alternative systems for energy production, fuel cells are particularly attractive because they allow clean and efficient conversion of chemical energy into electricity. Currently, the most active catalyst for the oxidation of fuels such as hydrogen, methanol and eth…

  The development of multifunctional catalysts to replace Pt for fuel oxidation reactions in low temperature fuel cells toward environmentally friendly energy production, AP.BIOEN.R

• Abstract

  In this project, we propose to prepare and characterize Au-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles and to study their behavior as active materials for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We are seeking for Pt-free electrocatalysts stabilized against dissolution under potential cycling regimes, a continuing problem in the cathodes of low temperature fuel cells in vehicle applications. Both the format…

  Synthesis and characterization of bimetallic Au-Pd nanoparticles for the electrocatalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction., AP.R

(Only some records are available in English at this moment)

• Abstract

  Metal-support interactions can modify the electronic properties of a metal, and may considerably modify the speed of reaction steps of the mechanism involving adsorbed species. This project proposes to perform comparative and systematic studies of the effects of alternative supports on the oxygen reduction reaction on Pd nanoparticles in acidic and alkaline media. We propose to study the …

  Metal-support interactions in electrocatalysis: influence of supports containing carbides on the oxygen reduction reaction on PD nanoparticles, BP.DR

• Abstract

  This project intends to carry out comparative and systematic studies of the ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline medium on Pd nanoparticles on hybrid supports containing carbon and transition metal oxides (SnO2/Sb2O5 e TiO2) with the purpose of elucidating the influence of metal-support interactions on the reaction mechanism. These interactions usually promote variations of the metal´s …

  Studies of the influence of metal-support interaction on the mechanism of the ethanol oxidation reaction on Pd nanoparticles, BP.MS

• Abstract

  The project involves the preparation, characterization and performance examination of nanostructured materials that could be used as catalysts for energy production employing fuel cells. The proposal aims to contribute to the development of new multifunctional catalysts to substitute Pt in the anodes of fuel cells fed with ethanol. Pt-based bimetallic catalysts containing Sn as second met…

  Preparation and studies of performance of multifunctional catalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium, BP.IC

(Only some records are available in English at this moment)

• Abstract

  The current catalysts for ethanol oxidation in fuel cells are not efficient enough to make possible the use of these devices for large scale energy generation. At the same time, the tailoring of more efficient catalysts requires a deeper understanding of the influence that the materials properties have on catalytic activity and reaction mechanisms. This research project involves the prepa…

  Structural effects on ethanol oxidation on Pt nanoparticles with different shapes and surface structures, BE.EP.MS