• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-25
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• 2009

Fuel cells are expected to be one of the major clean new energy sources in the near future. However, the slow kinetics of electrocatalytic hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and the high loading of Pt for the anode and cathode material are the urgent issues to be addressed since they determine the efficiency and the cost of this energy source. In this review paper, a new approach was developed for designing electrocatalysts for the HOR and ORR in fuel cells. It was found that the electronic properties of Pt could be fine-tuned by the electronic and geometric effects introduced by the substrate alloy metal and the lateral effects of the neighboring metal atoms. The role of substrate was found reflected in a volcano plot for the HOR and ORR as a function of their calculated d-band centers. This paper demonstrated a viable way to designing the electrocatalysts which could successfully alleviate two issue facing the commercializing of the fuel cell-the cost of electrocatalysts and their efficiency.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2007

In this study, mesoporous tin oxide was synthesized by sol-gel method using $C_{16}TMABr$ surfactant as a template in a basic condition. The optimum conditions for the synthesis of mesoporous $SnO_2$ were investigated and the obtained samples were characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption and TEM analysis. A mesoporous and nanostructured $SnO_2$ gas sensor with Au electrode and Pt heater has been fabricated on alumina substrate as one unit via a screen printing process. Sensing abilities of fabricated sensors were examined for CO and $CH_4$ gases, respectively, at $350^{\circ}C$ in the concentration range of 1~10,000 ppm. Influence of loading amount of palladium impregnated on $SnO_2$ was also tested in detection of those gases. High sensitivity to detecting gases and the fast response speed with stability were obtained with the mesoporous tin oxide sensor as compared to a non-porous one under the same detection conditions.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.672-677
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• 2015

Co-embedded graphitic porous carbon nanofibers(Co-GPCNFs) are synthesized by using an electrospinning method. Their morphological, structural, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties are investigated. To obtain the optimum condition of Co-GPCNFs for dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs), the amount of cobalt precursor in an electrospinning solutuion are controlled to be 0 wt%(conventional CNFs), 1 wt%(sample A), and 3 wt%(sample B). Among them, sample B exhibited a high degree of graphitization and porous structure compared to conventional CNFs and sample A, which result in the performance improvement of DSSCs. Therefore, sample B showed a high current density(JSC, $12.88mA/cm^2$) and excellent power conversion efficiency(PCE, 5.33 %) than those of conventional CNFs($12.00mA/cm^2$, 3.78 %). This result can be explained by combined effects of the increased contact area between the electrode and elecytolyte caused by improved porosity and the increased conductivity caused by the formation of a high degree of graphitization. Thus, the Co-GPCNFs may be used as a promising alternative of Pt-free counter electrode in DSSCs.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.649-655
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• 2016

Ni nanoparticles (NPs)-graphitic carbon nanofiber (GCNF) composites were fabricated using an electrospinning method. The amounts of Ni precursor used as catalyst for the catalytic graphitization were controlled at 0, 2, 5, and 8 wt% to improve the photovoltaic performances of the nanoparticles and make them suitable for use as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). As a result, Ni NPs-GCNF composites that were fabricated with 8 wt% Ni precursors showed a high circuit voltage (0.73 V), high photocurrent density ($14.26mA/cm^2$), and superb power-conversion efficiency (6.72%) when compared to those characteristics of other samples. These performance improvements can be attributed to the reduced charge transport resistance that results from the synergetic effect of the superior catalytic activity of Ni NPs and the efficient charge transfer due to the formation of GCNF with high electrical conductivity. Thus, Ni NPs-GCNF composites may be used as promising counter electrodes in DSSCs.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.299-307
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• 2019

Photocatalysis is an environment friendly technique for degrading organic dyes in water. Tungsten oxide is becoming an active area of research in photocatalysis nanomaterials for having a smaller bandgap than the previously favored titanium dioxide. Synthesis of hierarchical structures, doping platinum (Pt), coupling with nanocomposites or other semiconductors are investigated as valid methods of improving the photocatalytic degradation efficiency. These impact the reaction by creating a redshift in the wavelength of light used, effecting charge transfer, and the formation/recombination of electron-hole pairs. Each of the methods mentioned above are investigated in terms of synthesis and photocatalytic efficiency, with the simplest being modification on the morphology of tungsten oxide, since it does not need synthesis of other materials, and the most efficient in photocatalytic degradation being complex coupling of metal oxides and carbon composites. The photocatalysis technology can be incorporated with water purification membrane by modularization process and applied to advanced water treatment system.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.213-216
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• 2009

WGS(Water Gas Shift)반응은 일산화탄소(CO)를 이산화탄소($CO_2$)로 전환하는 반응으로 일체형 수소생산시스템의 실현을 위한 고순도 수소생산에 있어서 중요한 단계이다. WGS 반응은 열역학적 평형을 고려하여 고온전이반응(HTS: High Temperature Shift)과 저온전이반응(LTS: Low Temperature Shift) 두 단계 반응으로 진행된다. 두 단계 공정의 통합을 위해 낮은 온도에서 높은 활성을 갖는 WGS 반응용 촉매 개발이 필요하다. 최근 낮은 온도에서 높은 활성을 갖는 귀금속 촉매에 다양한 담체를 적용시킨 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 선행 연구 결과, Ce-$ZrO_2$ 구조는 Ce/Zr 비에 따라 다양한 특성 변화를 관찰하였다. 따라서 낮은 온도에서 높은 활성을 갖는 WGS 반응용 촉매 제조를 위해 환원성 담체인 $CeZrO_2$에 Pt 을 담지시켜 성능을 평가하였다. 제조된 모든 담체는 공침법(Co-precipitation)으로 제조 하였으며 $500^{\circ}C$에서 6시간 소성하였다. 제조된 담체에 백금(Pt)을 함침법(Incipient Wetness Impregnate)으로 담지시켰다. 특성분석은 BET를 이용하여 표면적을 측정하였다. 촉매 반응 실험조건은 $200^{\circ}C{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ 온도범위에서 기체공간속도(GHSV: Gas Hourly Space Velocity) 45,000 ml/$h{\cdot}g-cat$ 으로 혼합가스($H_2$:60%, $N_2$:20%,$CH_4$:1%,CO:9%,$CO_2$:10%)를 흘려 반응 후 배출되는 가스를 Micro-Gas Chromatography 를 이용하여 측정하였다.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.215-223
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• 1990

The effects of sulfur on the catalytic reaction between CO and NO on polycrystalline Pt surface, which is very important in the development of catalyst for automobile exhaust gas control, have been studied using thermal desorption spectrometry(TDS) under ultra-high vacuum(UHV) conditions. Sulfur weakened both the adsorptions of CO and NO by direct site blocking and indirect electronic effect. S(a) desorbing below 800 K gave little effect on reaction activity whereas S(a) desorbing above 800 K, which adsorbs as an atomic state, gave much effect on it. The adsorbed sulfur existed on the surface of platinum in the form of islands, and also reduced the adsorption energies of adsorbates by the long-ranged electronic effect. The platinum catalyst in the reaction between CO and NO was poisoned selectively by S(a), poisoning firstly the active sites of this reaction.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.207-214
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• 1990

The catalytic reaction between CO and NO on polycrystalline Pt surface, which is very important in the development of catalyst for automobile exhaust gas control, has been studied using thermal desorption spectrometry(TDS) and steady-state experiment under ultra-high vacuum(UHV) conditions. With the pressures of CO and NO of each $1{\times}10^{-7}Torr$, the $CO_2$ formation rate showed a maximum at 560K. At the reaction temperature of 560K and the NO pressure of $1{\times}10^{-7}Torr$, the production of $CO_2$ was first order in $CO_2$ was first order in CO pressure below $1.35{\times}10^{-7}Torr$ of CO pressure whereas at higher CO pressures the rate became minus 0.3 order in CO. But the efforts of reactant pressure on the reaction was understood in consideration of the surface concentrations of adsorbates. With the results, we proposed a new reaction mechanism for this reaction.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2014

In this study, we implemented a research for improving performance of redox flow battery (RFB) via enhancing reaction rate of vanadium reaction ($[VO]^{2+}/[VO_2]^+$) that was a rate determining step. For doing that, porous catalyst, CMK3 was employed and its perfoamance was compared with that of Vulcan(XC-72) and commercial Pt/C (Johnson-Matthey Pt 20wt.%). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used for inspecting reactivity, while its structural feature was measured by TEM and BET&BJH. Also, Charge-discharge trend was evaluated by single cell tests. As result, CMK3 showed 6 times better catalytic activity and twice better reversibility than Vulcan(XC-72), while it showed larger surface area than Vulcan XR due to its porous structure. Furthermore, CMK3 indicated 85% of reactivity and reversibility of commercial Pt/C despite its Pt-less situation. In single cell tests, when RFB adopted CMK3 as catalyst for positive electrode, its charge-discharge curve result was better than that adopted commercial Pt/C.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.264-273
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• 1997

Anodic oxidation reaction was applied to remove trihalomethanes in an aqueous solution. Each component was determined by using solid phase microextraction(SPME) fiber and GC-ECD. Anodic and cathodic compartments were separated in order to protect contaminants and connected by $KNO_3$-agar bridge. The calibration graphs of the 6 THM components were shown good linearlity from a few ppb up to a few hundreds ppb concentration level. Anodes such as platinum(Pt), titanium(Ti). zircornium(Zr), titanium metal coated with iridium(Ti-Ir), and glassy carbon coated with mixed valence ruthenium(mv Ru) were tried to remove the THMs at different potentials. The best result was obtained on the Ti-Ir anode applied 9 volts DC. The electrode could effectively remove almost all the THM components from the stirring solution within about 1.5 hours. The glassy carbon electrode coated with mixed valence ruthenium showed excellent removing effect at the begining, but the maximum removing level was remained at 60% probably due to the destruction of the electrode surface. The concentration of chloroform, however, tends to be increased due to the electrode reaction producing the component at the condition.