• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.273-281
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• 2020

Constructing and making highly active and stable nanostructured Pt-based catalysts with ultralow Pt loading are still electrifying for electrochemical applications such as water electrolysis and fuel cells. In this study, MoO₃ ribbons (RBs) of few micrometer in length is successfully synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis. Subsequently, 3-dimentional (3D)-silicate layer for about 10 to 15 nm is introduced via chemical deposition onto the pre-formed MoO₃ RBs; to setup the platform for Pt metaldots (MDs) deposition. In comparison with the bare MoO₃ RBs, the MoO₃-Si has served as a efficient solid-support for stabilizing and accommodating the uniform deposition of sub-2 nm Pt MDs. Such a structural design would effectively assist in improving the electronic conductivity of a fabricated MoO₃-Si-Pt catalyst towards MOR; the interfaced, porous and 3D silicate layer has assisted in an efficient mass transport and quenching the poisonous CO_ads species leading to a significant electrocatalytic performance for MOR in alkaline medium. Uniformly decorated, sub-2 nm sized Pt MDs has synergistically oxidized the MeOH in association with the MoO₃-Si solid-support hence, synergistic catalytic activity has been achieved. Present facile approach can be extended for fabricating variety of highly efficient Metal Oxide-Metal Nanocomposite for energy harvesting applications.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.190-195
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• 2007

A new electrochemical sensor to selectively determine epinephrine was developed and its analytical characteristics has been investigated. A glassy carbon electrode was modified with Ni(II)-macrocyclic complex which has electrocatalytic effect. It was further modified with physiologically suitable and negatively charged polyuretane benzyl L-glutamate(PUBLG). The present electrode showed long term stability and it could be applied to the selective determination of epinephrine in urine sample with various coexisting compounds. Under the optimum experimental conditions the linear range was $8.0\;{\times}\;10^{-7}\;-\;2.0\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;M$ and the limit of detection was $1.0\;{\times}\;10^{-7}\;M$. The recovery of epinephrine in urine sample diluted 5 times with buffer solution was $101.5({\pm}3.2)%$ for 6 measurements.

• 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.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2016

In this study a new, simple, precise, accurate and economic electrochemical method was developed and validated for the voltammetric determination of zolpidem (ZP) using disposable pencil graphite (PG) electrode. The anodic oxidation of ZP on the surface of the PG electrode was examined in a britton robinson (BR) buffer. Square wave and cyclic voltammetry were used as electrochemical techniques in the potential range of 0-1.2 V in the pH 8 BR buffer. In cyclic voltammetry studies, the diffusion coefficient of ZP oxidation was found to be 3.6×10^-6 cm² s^-1. On the other hand, the ZP has shown a well-defined irreversible anodic peak at 0.98 V in the square wave voltammetry mode. The PG electrode, primarily being graphite which has a large active surface area gives rise to increasing peak current with respect to ZP electrooxidation. PG electrode showed an electrocatalytic effect in anodic oxidation of ZP. A linear relationship between catalytic current response and ZP concentration was obtained over a concentration range of 10-30 μM with R.S.D. values ranging from 0.29-3.89. Limits of detection and quantitation were found to be 1 and 3 μM, respectively. Finally, the PG electrode was successfully used to determine ZP in standard and tablet dosage forms with a mean recovery of 100.69 %.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.138-147
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• 1992

Chemically-modified electrodes were fabricated and their electrocatalytic behaviors have been investigated. As a modifying layer, poly-[1-methyl-3-(pyrrol-1-ylmethyl) pyridinium] was electropolymerized onto Pt electrodes under constant current. The thickness of the polymer film was controlled by means of total charge consumed during the electropolymerization. SEM was used to measure the thickness. There was a linear relationship between the passed charge and the film thickness. Ferro/ferricyanide, used as an electron mediator in this study, was rapidly ion-exchanged into the polymer layer with its concentration of 1.2~1.3M. It was found that electrooxidation of ascorbic acid is catalyzed by incorporated ferri/ferrocyanide couple. Kinetic parameters for electrooxidation were determined by RDE experiments. The results indicate that the present system corresponds to ER+S case based on the Saveant theory. Improving methods have been proposed to be R+S case which is ideal for electrocatalysis.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.151-160
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• 2014

CL-SPEEK/Cs-TPA/$CeO_2$ composite membrane was prepared for polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). In order to improve the electrochemical, mechanical, durabilities and electrocatalytic characteristics, engineering plastic of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as polymer matrix was sulfonated and the organic-inorganic blend composite membranes was prepared by loading cesium-substituted tungstophosphoric acid (Cs-TPA) by titration method with cross-linking agent contents of 0.01mL. Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used to scavenge free radicals which attack the membrane in the PEMWE circumstance and to increase the duration of the membrane. CL-SPEEK/$Cs_{(1)}$-TPA/CeriaIn conclusion, 1% membrane showed the optimum results such as 0.119 S/cm at $80^{\circ}C$ of proton conductivity and 62MPa of tensile strength.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2010

Glucose oxidase ($GOD_{ox}$) immobilized biosensor was fabricated by two methods. In one of the methods, gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) prepared by ${\gamma}$-irradiation were loaded into the poly(maleic anhydride)-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotube, PMAn-g-MWCNT electrode via physical entrapment. In the other method, the Au-NPs were prepared by electrochemical reduction of Au ions on the surface of PMAn-g-MWCNT electrode and then GODox was immobilized into the Au-NPs. The $GOD_{ox}$ immobilized biosensors were tested for electrocatalytic activities to sense glucose. The sensing range of the biosensor based on the Au-NPs physically modified PMAn-g-MWCNT electrode was from $30\;{\mu}M$ to $100\;{\mu}M$ for the glucose concentration, and the detection limit was $15\;{\mu}M$. Interferences of ascorbic acid and uric acid were below 7.6%. The physically Au deposited PMAn-g-MWCNT paste electrodes appear to be good sensor in detecting glucose.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.416-423
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• 1996

Electrochemical reduction of thionyl chloride in 1.5 M $LiAlCl_4/SOCl_2$ electrolyte solution containing tetradentate Schiff base Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Mn(II) complexes has been investigated at the glassy carbon electrode. The catalyst molecules of transition metal(II) complexes were adsorbed on the electrode surface and reduced thionyl chloride resulting in a generation of oxidized catalyst molecules. There was an optimum concentration for each catalyst compound. The current density of $SOCl_2$ reduction was enhanced up to 150% at the catalyst contained electrolyte solution. The reduction currents of thionyl chloride were increased and the reduction potentials were shifted to the negative potential as scan rates became faster. The reduction of thionyl chloride was proceeded to diffusion controlled reaction.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.581-584
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• 2020

The effect of a chemical pretreatment on the surface carbon was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical methods. Primitive carbon has a reducing power likely due to incompletely oxidized functional groups on the surface. We aim to control this reducing power by chemical treatment and apply for the spontaneous deposition of nanoparticles (NPs). Highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was initially treated with a reducing agent, NaBH4 or an oxidizing agent, KMnO₄, for 5 min. Subsequently, the pretreated carbon was immersed in a platinum (Pt) precursor. Unexpectedly, SEM images showed that the reducing agent increased spontaneous PtNPs deposition while the oxidizing agent decreased Pt loading more as compared to that of using bare carbon. However, the amount of Pt on the carbon obviously decreased by NaBH₄ treatment for 50 min. Secondly, spontaneous reduction on pretreated glassy carbon (GC) was investigated using the catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). GC electrode treated with NaBH4 for a short and long time showed small (onset potential: -640 mV vs. MSE) and large overpotential for the HER, respectively. Although the mechanism is unclear, the electrochemistry results correspond to the optical data. As a proof-of-concept, these results demonstrate that chemical treatments can be used to design the shapes and amounts of deposited catalytic metal on carbon by controlling the surface state.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.233-239
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• 2009

The electrocatalytic behavior of the PtCo catalyst supported on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) has been evaluated and compared with commercial Pt/C catalyst in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC). A PtCo/MWNTs electrocatalyst with a Pt:Co atomic ratio of 79:21 was synthesized and applied to a cathode of PEMFC. The structure and morphology of the synthesized PtCo/MWNTs electrocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. As a result of the X-ray studies, the crystal structure of a PtCo particle was determined to be a face-centered cubic(FCC) that was the same as the platinum structure. The particle size of PtCo in PtCo/MWNTs and Pt in Pt/C were 2.0 nm and 2.7 nm, respectively, which were calculated by Scherrer's formula from X-ray diffraction data. As a result we concluded that the specific surface activity of PtCo/MWNTs is superior to Pt/C's activity because of its smaller particle size. From the electrochemical impedance measurement, the membrane electrode assembly(MEA) fabricated with PtCo/MWNTs showed smaller anodic and cathodic activation losses than the MEA with Pt/C, although ohmic loss was the same as Pt/C. Finally, from the evaluation of cyclic voltammetry(CV), the unit cell using PtCo/MWNTs as the cathode electrocatalyst showed slightly higher fuel cell performance than the cell with a commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst.