SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells

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dc.contributor.advisorLevecque, Pieter B Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorKramer, Denisen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorRussell, Andrea Een_ZA
dc.contributor.authorJackson, Colleenen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-02-05T13:06:47Z
dc.date.available2018-02-05T13:06:47Z
dc.date.issued2017en_ZA
dc.description.abstractSupported nano-catalyst technologies are key for increasing the catalyst utilisation and achieving economically feasible platinum metal loadings in hydrogen polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). High surface area carbons are commonly utilised as support materials for platinum due to low cost, large surface areas and high conductivity. However, PEFCs using this technology undergo oxidation of carbon supports, significantly reducing the lifetime of the fuel cell. In this work, silicon carbide and boron carbide are investigated as alternative catalyst support materials to carbon, for the oxygen reduction reaction for low temperature fuel cells. Electrochemical testing, accelerated degradation studies as well as advanced characterisation techniques were used to clarify the structure-property relationships between catalyst morphology, metal-support interaction, ORR activity and surface adsorption onto the Pt nanoparticles. Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) analysis gave insights into the shape of the clustered nanoparticles while X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and in-situ X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) analysis provided information into how the metal-support interaction influences surface adsorption of intermediate species. Electronic metal-support interactions between platinum and the carbide supports were observed which influenced the electrochemical characteristics of the catalyst, in some cases increasing the oxygen reduction reaction activity, hydrogen oxidation reaction activity and Pt stability on the surface of the support.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationJackson, C. (2017). <i>SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Centre for Catalysis Research. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27313en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationJackson, Colleen. <i>"SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Centre for Catalysis Research, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27313en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationJackson, C. 2017. SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Jackson, Colleen AB - Supported nano-catalyst technologies are key for increasing the catalyst utilisation and achieving economically feasible platinum metal loadings in hydrogen polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). High surface area carbons are commonly utilised as support materials for platinum due to low cost, large surface areas and high conductivity. However, PEFCs using this technology undergo oxidation of carbon supports, significantly reducing the lifetime of the fuel cell. In this work, silicon carbide and boron carbide are investigated as alternative catalyst support materials to carbon, for the oxygen reduction reaction for low temperature fuel cells. Electrochemical testing, accelerated degradation studies as well as advanced characterisation techniques were used to clarify the structure-property relationships between catalyst morphology, metal-support interaction, ORR activity and surface adsorption onto the Pt nanoparticles. Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) analysis gave insights into the shape of the clustered nanoparticles while X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and in-situ X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) analysis provided information into how the metal-support interaction influences surface adsorption of intermediate species. Electronic metal-support interactions between platinum and the carbide supports were observed which influenced the electrochemical characteristics of the catalyst, in some cases increasing the oxygen reduction reaction activity, hydrogen oxidation reaction activity and Pt stability on the surface of the support. DA - 2017 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2017 T1 - SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells TI - SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27313 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/27313
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationJackson C. SiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cells. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Centre for Catalysis Research, 2017 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27313en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentCentre for Catalysis Researchen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherCatalysis Researchen_ZA
dc.subject.otherChemical Engineeringen_ZA
dc.titleSiC and B₄C as electrocatalyst support materials for low temperature fuel cellsen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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