• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.242-248
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• 2016

연료전지에서의 전체 반응 속도는 산화전극에서 일어나는 수소산화반응에 비해 그 반응 속도가 현저히 느린 환원전극에서의 산소환원반응(oxygen reduction reaction, ORR)에 의해 결정된다. ORR 효율성 평가를 용이하게 하는 지표(descriptor)로서 촉매 표면에서의 산소원자 흡착강도를 활용하는데, 산소흡착강도는 촉매 표면의 기하학적 구조 변형에 따른 전자구조를 변형함으로써 조절할 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 백금 표면의 원자모델을 이용하여 표면의 기하학적 구조가 산소흡착강도에 미치는 영향과 그 원인을 밀도범함수이론(density functional theory, DFT) 계산을 통해 분석하였다. 먼저, 기하학적 구조를 인위적으로 변형시킨 Pt(111) 표면에서의 산소흡착반응을 밀도범함수이론 계산을 이용해 분석함으로써 기하학적 구조변화가 산소흡착강도에 미치는 영향(strain effect)을 확인하였다. 최적화한 Pt 격자상수($3.977{\AA}$)에 ${\pm}1%$ 간격의 변화율을 적용하고 각 변화율마다의 산소흡착강도를 계산하였는데, Pt-Pt 원자 간 거리가 멀어질수록 산소흡착강도가 강해지는 것을 확인하였다. 이는 원자 간 거리가 증가할수록 d-band center가 페르미 준위(Fermi level)쪽으로 이동하게 되며, 이로써 일부 반결합 오비탈(anti-bonding orbitals)에 전자가 채워지지 않기 때문에 전체적으로 반결합 오비탈이 형성될 가능성이 적어지기 때문이다. 결과적으로, 순수한 백금이 가진 격자상수($3.9771{\AA}$) 보다 약 2~4% 작은 백금 표면 격자크기를 가질 수 있도록 유도할 수 있다면 산소흡착강도가 적절히 약하게 조절될 수 있으며, 이는 순수한 백금보다 더 향상된 ORR 성능을 가진 촉매물질 개발 연구를 위한 기초자료로서 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2011년도 춘계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.95.2-95.2
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• 2011

In order to achieve high performance and low cost for commercial applications, the development of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), in which the electrochemical reactions actually occur, must be optimized. Expensive platinum is currently used as an electrochemical catalyst due to its high activity. Although various platinum alloys and non-platinum catalysts are under development, their stabilities and catalytic activities, especially in terms of the oxygen reduction (ORR), render them currently unsuitable for practical use. Therefore, it is important to decrease platinum loading by optimizing the catalysts and electrode microstructure. In this study, we prepared several different MEAs (non-uniform Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer loading electrode) which have dual catalyst layers to find the optimal Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer distribution in the electrodes. We changed Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer content in the layers to find the ideal composition of the binder and Pt/C in the electrode. For MEAs with various ionomer contents in the anodes and cathodes, the electrochemical activity (activation overpotential) and the mass transport properties (concentration overpotential) were analyzed and correlated with the single cell performance. The dual catalyst layers MEA showed higher cell performance than uniformly fabricated MEA, especially at the high current density region.

• 전기화학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.201-208
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• 2014

본 연구에서는 산화그래핀과 카본블랙의 혼합담체를 이용하여 내구성이 향상된 백금촉매를 폴리올법으로 제조하였다. 삼전극 순환전압전류법을 이용한 전기화학성능 측정결과 적절한 비율로 조절된 혼합담지체에 백금을 담지시켰을 경우 초기 성능 감소없이 장기내구성이 향상되는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 회전원판전극을 이용하여 산소환원반응을 수행한 결과 혼합담체에 담지된 백금촉매가 카본블랙 단일담체에 담지된 백금촉매보다 우수한 고유활성값을 나타내었다.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제57권3호
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• pp.438-443
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• 2019

본 연구에서는 HT-PEMFC 공기극용 Pt계열 연료극 촉매의 인산이온 피독 특성에 대한 새로운 평가 방법을 제시하였다. 이를 위하여, 기존의 전기화학적 인산이온 피독 측정법인 CV와 ORR RDE 측정법이 갖고 있는 문제점을 저감하기 위하여, 과산화수소를 Pt 촉매와의 반응물로 이용하여 고농도 인산 이온 분위기에서의 내피독성 측정값 오차를 감소시켰다. 그 결과 인산이온 농도 0.1 M 이하의 저농도와 0.5 M 이상의 고농도에서 인산농도 대비 전류밀도의 변화가 직선적으로 나타나, 실제 HT-PEMFC의 구동 환경과 유사한 고농도의 인산이온 분위기에서의 Pt계 인산이온 피독 정량화에 대하여 기존의 측정방법에 비해 우수함을 확인하였다.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.180-185
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• 2011

This study is aimed to increase the activity of cathodic catalysts for PEMFCs(Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells). we investigated the temperature effect of 20wt% Pt/C catalysts at five different temperatures. The catalysts were synthesized by using chemical reduction method. Before adding the formaldehyde as reducing agent, process was undergone for 2 hours at the room temperature (RT), $40^{\circ}C$, $60^{\circ}C$, $80^{\circ}C$ and $100^{\circ}C$, respectively. The performances of synthesize catalysts are compared. The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied on 20wt% Pt/C catalysts by using a glassy carbon electrode through cyclic voltammetric curves (CV) in a 1M H2SO4 solution. The ORR specific activities of 20wt% Pt/C catalysts increased to give a relative ORR catalytic activity ordering of $80^{\circ}C$ > $100^{\circ}C$ > $60^{\circ}C$ > $40^{\circ}C$ > RT. Electrochemical active surface area (EAS) was calculated with cyclic voltammetry analysis. Prepared Pt/C (at $80^{\circ}C$, $100^{\circ}C$) catalysts has higher ESA than other catalysts. Physical characterization was made by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The TEM images of the carbon supported platinum electrocatalysts ($80^{\circ}C$, $100^{\circ}C$) showed homogenous particle distribution with particle size of about 2~3.5 nm. We found that a higher reaction temperature resulted in more uniform particle distribution than lower reaction temperature and then the XRD results showed that the crystalline structure of the synthesized catalysts are seen FCC structure.

• 에너지공학
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.157-162
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• 2014

해당 연구에서는 수정된 폴리올법을 이용하여 합성한 카본블랙 탄소지지체의 Pt촉매의 전기적, 전기화학적 특성을 평가하였다. 또한 Polyol_Pt/C 촉매는 고분자전해질연료전지의 공기극에 적용하여 산소환원반응성을 측정하였다. 산소환원반응성과 고분자전해질연료전지 성능평가를 통해 상용 Pt/C (JM_Pt/C)촉매와 비교하여 전기화학적인 촉매성능을 비교하였다. 촉매의 활성표면적을 구하기 위해 순환전압전류주사법을 이용하였고, 산소환원반응성을 측정하기 위해 회전원판전극으로 선형주사전류법을 이용하였다. 또한 고분자전해질연료전지 완전지 성능 측정을 진행하였다. 그 결과 Polyol_Pt/C 촉매의 활성표면적 ($196m^2g^{-1}$)은 JM_Pt/C 촉매의 그 값 ($183m^2g^{-1}$) 보다 우수하였다. 촉매들의 산소환원반응성에 경우에도 Polyol_Pt/C 촉매는 JM_Pt/C 촉매보다 우수한 반파장전위 및 한계전류밀도를 나타내었다. 또한 완전지 평가시, MEA 공기극을 위한 Polyol_Pt/C 촉매 담지량을 기존의 0.4에서 0.15로 줄였을 때, 성능저하가 적게 나타났고, 300시간의 장기간 성능 평가에서도 연료전지 성능이 거의 일정하게 유지되었다. 이를 토대로 수정된 폴리올법에 의해 합성된 Polyol_Pt/C 촉매는 경제적인 이용 및 우수한 내구성을 가지고 있음을 밝혀내었다.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.677-684
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• 2016

Various commercially available gas diffusion layers (GDLs) from different manufacturers were used to prepare an air electrode using $La_{0.8}Sr_{0.2}CoO_3$ perovskite (LSCP) as the catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline solution. Various GDLs have different physical properties, such as porosity, conductivity, hydrophobicity, etc. The ORR and OER of the resulting cathode were electrochemically evaluated in an alkaline solution. The electrochemical properties of the resulting cathodes were slightly different when compared to the physical properties of GDLs. Pore structure and conductivity of GDLs had a prominent effect and their hydrophobicities had a minor effect on the electrochemical performances of cathodes for ORR and OER.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.450-457
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• 2018

To design the practical core-shell electrocatalysts, combination of core and shell materials is important to meet catalytic activity and durability target. In general, Pd is considered as a good core material due to its best activity caused by strain/ligand effect. Preparing Pd nanoparticles can be a starting point in fabricating core-shell type electrocatalysts, much simplified Pd preparing process is suggested by using carbon monoxide (CO) as a reducing agent and/or capping agent. The solvent composition and reaction temperature can control to nanosheet, tetrahedron, and sphere without using additional stabilizer. Among them, Pd nanosheet which has mainly (111) plane showed about 3 times higher electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to the spherical Pd nanoparticles. The enhanced ORR activity of Pd nanosheets can be attributed to the exposure of Pd (111) surface and the high electrochemical surface area. Therefore, we demonstrated that the shape of Pd nanomaterials is easily controlled via a facile reduction method using CO, and (111) plane-oriented Pd nanosheets can be a promising ORR catalysts and core material for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs).

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.41-52
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• 2021

NiO and Co3O4-doped porous La(CoNi)O3 perovskite oxides were prepared from excess Ni addition by a hydrothermal method using porous silica template, and characterized as bifunctional catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for Zn-air rechargeable batteries in alkaline solution. Excess Ni induced to form NiO and Co3O4 in La(CoNi)O3 particles. The NiO and Co3O4-doped porous La(CoNi)O3 showed high specific surface area, up to nine times of conventionally synthesized perovskite oxide, and abundant pore volume with similar structure. Extra added Ni was partially substituted for Co as B site of ABO3 perovskite structure and formed to NiO and Co3O4 which was highly dispersed in particles. Excess Ni in La(CoNi)O3 catalysts increased OER performance (259 mA/㎠ at 2.4 V) in alkaline solution, although the activities (211 mA/㎠ at 0.5 V) for ORR were not changed with the content of excess Ni. La(CoNi)O3 with excess Ni showed very stable cyclability and low capacity fading rate (0.38 & 0.07 ㎶/hour for ORR & OER) until 300 hours (~70 cycles) but more excess content of Ni in La(CoNi)O3 gave negative effect to cyclability.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.308-320
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• 2022

The high internal resistance (R_int) that develops across the sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFC) limits their power production (~4/10 mW m^-2) that can be recovered from an initial oil-contaminated sediment (OCS). In the anolyte, R_int is related to poor biodegradation activity, quality and quantity of contaminant content in the sediment and anode material. While on the catholyte, R_int depends on the properties of the catholyte, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and the cathode material. In this work, the main factors limiting the power output of the SMFC have been minimized. The power output of the SMFC was increased (47 times from its initial value, ~4 mW m^-2) minimizing the SMFC R_int (28 times from its initial value, 5000 ohms), following the main modifications. Anolyte: the initial OCS was amended with several amounts of gasoline and kerosene. The best anaerobic microbial activity of indigenous populations was better adapted (without more culture media) to 3 g of kerosene. Catholyte: ORR was catalyzed in birnessite/carbon fabric (CF)-cathode at pH 2, 0.8M Na₂SO₄. At the class level, the main microbial groups (Gammaproteobacteria, Coriobacteriia, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria) with electroactive members were found at C-anode and were associated with the high-power densities obtained. Gasoline is more difficult to biodegrade than kerosene. However, in both cases, SMFC biodegradation activity and power output are increased when ORR is performed on birnessite/CF in 0.8 M Na₂SO₄ at pH 2. The work discussed here can focus on bioremediation (in heavy OCS) or energy production in future work.