Date/Time
Date(s) - 15/04/2021
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Title:                    “A Matter of Scaleand Design: Harnessing Materials Chemistry Techniques to Guide the Developmentof Electrocatalysts with Improved Performance”

Date:                    Thursday, April 15th, 2021 

Time:                   1:30p.m.   

Zoom:                  available from macchem@mcmaster.ca 

Host:                    Dr. PeterKruse 

ABSTRACT:

Electrocatalysts are central to several technologiesthat utilize chemical energy, produce chemical energy, and/or create a diversearray of chemical products. Some electrocatalytic materials are foundational tothe chemical industry and energy sector. Yet others are after sought with thepromise to transform our daily lives as citizens, workers, and consumers.Materials chemistry has offered many opportunities for the custom design ofelectrocatalytic materials. A lot has been learned in the field ofelectrocatalysis, but there are still many opportunities for advancing thescience of these materials, harnessing their properties, and achieving theiroptimal performance. From the synthesis of nanomaterials to the preparation oflarge-scale electrodes, the composition of electrocatalysts has been a keyconsideration in optimizing their performance. Their incorporation into deviceplatforms is also an important consideration. The design of the interface ofelectrocatalytic materials is one aspect that will be reviewed in thispresentation. In addition to their composition, their atomic to nanoscale tomicroscale structures will be considered along with their design forincorporation into device platforms. Some avenues to preparing structuredelectrocatalysts with features spanning multiple dimensions will be reviewed,along with some examples of their performance. By way of examples, thediscussions will focus on the development of electrocatalytic materialsrelevant to the oxygen reduction reaction of polymer electrolyte fuel cells andthe oxygen evolution reaction of water electrolyzers.

Keywords:functional materials, electrocatalysis, materials chemistry, nanomaterials, gasevolution reactions, chemical energy