This book explores key parameters, properties and fundamental concepts of electrocatalysis. It also discusses the engineering strategies, current applications in fuel-cells, water-splitting, metal-ion batteries, and fuel generation. This book elucidates entire category viewpoints together with industrial applications. Therefore, all the sections of this book emphasize the recent advances of different types of electrocatalysts, current challenges, and state-of-the-art studies through detailed reviews. This book is the result of commitments by numerous experts in the field from various backgrounds and expertise and appeals to industrialists, researchers, scientists and in addition understudies from various teaches.

Electrocatalysis for Membrane Fuel Cells Comprehensive resource covering hydrogen oxidation reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, classes of electrocatalytic materials, and characterization methods Electrocatalysis for Membrane Fuel Cells focuses on all aspects of electrocatalysis for energy applications, covering perspectives as well as the low-temperature fuel systems principles, with main emphasis on hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Following an introduction to basic principles of electrochemistry for electrocatalysis with attention to the methods to obtain the parameters crucial to characterize these systems, Electrocatalysis for Membrane Fuel Cells covers sample topics such as: Electrocatalytic materials and electrode configurations, including precious versus non-precious metal centers, stability and the role of supports for catalytic nano-objects; Fundamentals on characterization techniques of materials and the various classes of electrocatalytic materials; Theoretical explanations of materials and systems using both Density Functional Theory (DFT) and molecular modelling; Principles and methods in the analysis of fuel cells systems, fuel cells integration and subsystem design. Electrocatalysis for Membrane Fuel Cells quickly and efficiently introduces the field of electrochemistry, along with synthesis and testing in prototypes of materials, to researchers and professionals interested in renewable energy and electrocatalysis for chemical energy conversion.

Topics in Number 50 include: " Investigation of alloy cathode Electrocatalysts " A model Hamiltonian that incorporates the solvent effect to gas-phase density functional theory (DFT) calculations " DFT-based theoretical analysis of ORR mechanisms " Structure of the polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM) " ORR investigated through a DFT-Green function analysis of small clusters " Electrocatalytic oxidation and hydrogenation of chemisorbed aromatic compounds on palladium Electrodes " New models that connect the continuum descriptions with atomistic Monte Carlo simulations " ORR reaction in acid revisited through DFT studies that address the complexity of Pt-based alloys in electrocatalytic processes " Use of surface science methods and electrochemical techniques to elucidate reaction mechanisms in electrocatalytic processes " In-situ synchrotron spectroscopy to analyze electrocatalysts dispersed on nanomaterials From reviews of previous volumes: "Continues the valuable service that has been rendered by the Modern Aspects series."--Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry "Extremely well-referenced and very readable ... Maintains the overall high standards of the series." --Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Catalysis in Electrochemistry: From Fundamental Aspects to Strategies for Fuel Cell Development is a modern, comprehensive reference work on catalysis in electrochemistry, including principles, methods, strategies, and applications. It points out differences between catalysis at gas/surfaces and electrochemical interfaces, along with the future possibilities and impact of electrochemical science on energy problems. This book contributes both to fundamental science; experience in the design, preparation, and characterization of electrocatalytic materials; and the industrial application of electrocatalytic materials for electrochemical reactions. This is an essential resource for scientists globally in academia, industry, and government institutions.

This book addresses some essential topics in the science of energy converting devices emphasizing recent aspects of nano-derived materials in the application for the protection of the environment, storage, and energy conversion. The aim, therefore, is to provide the basic background knowledge. The electron transfer process and structure of the electric double layer and the interaction of species with surfaces and the interaction, reinforced by DFT theory for the current and incoming generation of fuel cell scientists to study the interaction of the catalytic centers with their supports. The chief focus of the chapters is on materials based on precious and non-precious centers for the hydrogen electrode, the oxygen electrode, energy storage, and in remediation applications, where the common issue is the rate-determining step in multi-electron charge transfer processes in electrocatalysis. These approaches are used in a large extent in science and technology, so that each chapter demonstrates the connection of electrochemistry, in addition to chemistry, with different areas, namely, surface science, biochemistry, chemical engineering, and chemical physics.

Rotating Electrode Methods and Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts provides the latest information and methodologies of rotating disk electrode and rotating ring-disk electrode (RDE/RRDE) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). It is an ideal reference for undergraduate and graduate students, scientists, and engineers who work in the areas of energy, electrochemistry science and technology, fuel cells, and other electrochemical systems. - Presents a comprehensive description, from fundamentals to applications, of catalyzed oxygen reduction reaction and its mechanisms - Portrays a complete description of the RDE (Rotating Disc Electrode)/RRDE (Rotating Ring-Disc Electrode) techniques and their use in evaluating ORR (Oxygen Reduction Reaction) catalysts - Provides working examples along with figures, tables, photos and a comprehensive list of references to help understanding of the principles involved

Fuel cells are one of the most promising clean energy conversion devices that can solve the environmental and energy problems in our society. However, the high platinum loading of fuel cells - and thus their high cost - prevents their commercialization. Non- or low- platinum electrocatalysts are needed to lower the fuel cell cost. Electrocatalysis in Fuel Cells: A Non and Low Platinum Approach is a comprehensive book summarizing recent advances of electrocatalysis in oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidation, with a particular focus on non- and low-Pt electrocatalysts. All twenty four chapters were written by worldwide experts in their fields. The fundamentals and applications of novel electrocatalysts are discussed thoroughly in the book. The book is geared toward researchers in the field, postgraduate students and lecturers, and scientists and engineers at fuel cell and automotive companies. It can even be a reference book for those who are interested in this area.

Electrocatalysis has been the cornerstone for enhancing energy efficiency, minimizing environmental impacts and carbon emissions, and enabling a more sustainable way of meeting global energy needs. Elucidating the structure and reaction mechanisms of electrocatalysts at electrode-electrolyte interfaces is fundamental for advancing renewable energy technologies, including fuel cells, and water electrolyzers, among others. One of the fundamental challenges in electrocatalysis is understanding how to activate and sustain electrocatalytic activity, under operating conditions, for extended time periods, which calls for the use of in situ/operando methods. This thesis first introduces the design and understanding of electrocatalysts for alkaline fuel cells since they enable the use of non-precious metals to catalyze the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode. Metal oxide-based ORR electrocatalysts, synthesized by a hydrothermal method, in particular, Mn-Co spinel nanoparticles, have demonstrated over 1 W/cm2 benchmark peak power density with a Pt-based anode and a record 200 mW/cm2 with a Ni-based anode for a completely non-precious metal-containing alkaline fuel cell, in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) measurements. Analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has been extensively employed to resolve the heterogeneous crystal structures and chemical environments at the atomic scale. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) methods revealed that the superior performance of Mn-Co spinels in low humidity, relative to Pt, originates from synergistic effects in which the Mn sites bind O2 while the Co sites activate H2O to facilitate the proton-coupled electron transfer process. Moving beyond oxides, we have developed nitride-core oxide-shell Co4N/C and Pd-based alloys as ORR electrocatalysts for high-power alkaline fuel cells. The second part of this thesis focuses on operando studies of electrochemical interfaces. In situ heating STEM and heating X-ray diffraction were used to track the dynamic order-disorder phase transition of Pt3Co intermetallic ORR catalysts during annealing and quantify the degree of ordering as a key structural factor for long-term MEA durability. This thesis then presents the efforts to tackle a grand challenge in physical chemistry : understanding and spatially resolving the electrochemical double layer (EDL) at electrolyte/nanocrystal electrode interfaces. Preliminary studies, with heavy halide anion and/or alkali cations as chemical probes, while promising, have yet to provide compelling evidences of potential-dependent changes of ionic distributions. However, the pursuit of these EDL studies led to the unexpected observation of cathodic corrosion, an enigmatic electrochemical process in which noble metal electrodes corrode under sufficiently reducing potentials. I employed operando EC-STEM to reveal that cathodic corrosion at solid-liquid-gas interfaces yields significantly higher levels of structural degradation for nanocrystals than bulk electrodes. The dynamic evolution of morphology, composition, and structural information was retrieved by analytical and 4D-STEM. Such microscopic studies can provide unprecedented insights into the structural evolution of nanoscale electrocatalysts during electrochemical reactions under highly reducing potentials, such as CO2 and N2 reduction.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience.Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.