Abstract

The expense of commonly used electrocatalysts such as Platinum and Palladium, make many battery technologies and electrochemical reactions cost-prohibitive. A new group of promising low-cost catalysts is doped carbon complexes. These materials need further development to reach the same activity as traditional catalysts. But by examining the Oxidative Reduction Reactions (ORR) of various carbon complexes, desirable characteristics and geometries can be identified and enhanced. For this comparative analysis, a series of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) and Graphene Complexes were tested.

Experimentation and Findings

For these tests, all of the samples were drop cast onto a Glassy Carbon Electrode and were analyzed for reactivity using Cyclic and Linear Sweep Voltammetry on an MSR Rotator. These tests showed the current induced with respect to changing voltage. This data was then plotted using the Levich Equation to find the number of electrons transferred in each half-reaction.

The results of the testing showed that carbon-based electrocatalysts are viable options that need further exploration. The tests conducted favored both long MWCNTs and high impurity samples. This gives credence to the theory that surface layers containing impurities are the sites for ORR and that internal structures facilitate the transfer of electrons as current.

Future experiments will be aimed at exploring these phenomena as well as altering the sample's surface chemistry with oxidative Chemical Vapor Deposition and varying types of polymers, as an attempt to improve their ORR activity and longevity. The data presented in this investigation suggests several options to explore as paths to improve the samples ORR and make them better electrocatalysts. Overall, the continued exploration of carbon-based electrocatalysts as a viable new option for battery applications is promising.  

Publications, Papers, and Presentations

Investigation of Oxidative Reduction Reactions in Carbon-Based Electrocatalysts

(Senior Honors Thesis)

Investigation of Oxidative Reduction Reactions in Carbon-Based Electrocatalysts

(UCARE Presentation)

Transformative Coatings and Interfaces Laboratory Group