Development of three-dimensional catalysts for water splitting through a precise spatial control

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 26030:Composite materials and interfaces-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Wang Ke-Hsuan 東京理科大学, 工学部工業化学科, 講師 (30778618)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 電気化学触媒 / 酸素発生反応 / 触媒形状制御 / オペランド観測 / X線吸収微細構造

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The development of efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst is required for clean hydrogen generation by electrochemical water splitting using renewable energy. We prepared three-dimensional OER catalysts and investigated the characterization of the catalysts and the catalytic reaction mechanism using operando X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Accordingly, we further explored how electrode substrate, catalyst shape, and cluster structure influence the catalyst activity by using a combination of in situ XAFS and electrochemical methods, and ex situ characterizations, including scanning electron microscopy. Our results demonstrated that by controlling the electrode substrate, catalyst shape, and cluster structure, the diffusion of water molecules, reaction ions, and generated gases during catalysis could be significantly enhanced, resulting in a substantial improvement in the activity of the OER catalysts.

Free Research Field

複合材料および界面関連

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

遷移金属酸化物の空間制御を行うことで、その活性を最大限に引き出すことが可能であり、これまで行われてこなかった新しい領域の触媒開発を行っていけるため、学術的にも産業的にも発展性にあふれた研究を展開できるものと考えている。