• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.70-73
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• 2013

Iridium oxide is well known as an electrocatalyst for the water oxidation. Recently, Dr. Bard's group observed the electrocatalytic behavior of individual nanoparticle of Iridium oxide using the electrochemical amplification method by detecting the single nanoparticle collisions at the ultramicroelectrode (UME). However, the electrocatalytic current is decayed as a function of time. In this study, we investigated that the reason of electrocatalytic current decay of water oxidation at Iridium oxide nanoparticles. We identified it is due to the bubble overpotential because the cyclic current decay and recovery were synchronized to the oxygen bubble growth and coming away from an Iridium disk electrode.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.164-170
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• 2021

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) have emerged as large-scale energy storage systems (ESS) due to their advantages such as low cross-contamination, long life, and flexible design. However, Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the negative half-cell causes a harmful influence on the performance of the VRFB by consuming current. Moreover, HER hinders V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction between electrode and electrolyte by forming a bubble. To address the HER problem, carbon nanotube/graphite felt electrode (CNT/GF) with oxygen functional groups was synthesized through the hydrothermal method in the H₂SO₄ + HNO₃ (3:1) mixed acid solution. These oxygen functional groups on the CNT/GF succeed in suppressing the HER and improving charge transfer for V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction. As a result, the oxygen functional group applied electrode exhibited a low overpotential of 0.395 V for V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction. Hence, this work could offer a new strategy to design and synthesize effective electrodes for HER suppression and improving the energy density of VRFB.