Synthesis of highly active catalysts applicable for metal-air batteries and the exploration of the governing factor of their catalytic activity

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17965
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Inorganic industrial materials
• Research Institution: Kitami Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: HIRAI Shigeto 北見工業大学, 工学部, 助教 (80756669)
• Research Collaborator: Ohno Tomoya ; Kamihara Yoichi ; Fujioka Masaya ; Yagi Shunsuke
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 酸素発生反応 / 金属空気電池 / 電子相関 / 酸素欠損 / 超伝導体 / パイロクロア酸化物 / ペロブスカイト酸化物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been revealed that the catalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction is rapidly enhanced by the strong electron-electron correlation. As the electron-electron correlation gets stronger, metallic compounds finally become insulating. Therefore, metallic compounds at the metal-insulator border (including the superconductors that become zero electrical resistance at low temperature) are predicted as excellent oxygen evolution catalysts. In fact, superconductor-related compounds with sufficient oxygen vacancies and metallic compounds that are insulating at low temperature also showed excellent OER activity. Therefore, it is promising to search for metallic compounds at the metal-insulator border.

Free Research Field

固体化学、電気化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

限りなく絶縁体に近い金属は超伝導体の開発の観点から盛んに研究されてきた。しかし、酸素発生触媒との相関については今まで系統的な研究が行われていなかった。本研究によって、酸素発生触媒の探索指針として、限りなく絶縁体に近い金属が有効であり、今後も新しい触媒の開発が期待できる。また、限りなく絶縁体に近い金属が酸素発生触媒として優れているということは、水の電気分解や空気電池の電極触媒として、エネルギー損失を小さくできることを意味しており、今後の実用化に向けた触媒の設計指針が明確になったと言える。