• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.157-162
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• 2014

In this research, we investigate electrical performance and electrochemical properties of carbon supported Pt (Pt/C) that is synthesized by polyol method. With the Polyol_Pt/C that is adopted for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), their catalytic activity and ORR performance and electrical performance are estimated and compared with commercial Pt/C(Johnson Mattey) catalyst. Their electrochemically active surface (EAS) area are measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV), respectively. On the other hand, regarding ORR activity and electrical performance of the catalysts, (i) linear sweeping voltammetry by rotating disk electrode and (ii) PEMFC single cell tests are used. The CV measurement demonstrate EAS of Polyol_Pt/C is compared with commercial JM_Pt/C. In case of Polyol_Pt/C, its half-wave potential, kinetic current density are excellent. Based on data obtained by half-cell test, when PEMFC single cell tests are carried out, current density measured at 0.6V and maximum power density of the PEMFC single cell employing Polyol_Pt/C are better than those employing commercial Pt/C. Conclusively, Polyol_Pt/C synthesized by modified polyol process shows better ORR catalytic activity and PEMFC performance than other catalysts.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2010

The rechargeable Zn-air battery is considered as one of the potential candidates for the next generation secondary batteries due to its many advantages. However, its further applications and commercialization have been limited by the complexity of the reactions on air electrode which are oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER) upon discharging and charging processes, respectively. In the present study, lanthanum was impregnated into a commercial Pt/C gas diffusion electrode, and it clearly verified significantly enhanced cycling stability and reversibility. The results presented in this study show the possibility of repeated charge/discharge processes for Zn-air batteries with a La-loaded air electrode, and they demonstrate the potential as a promising next generation secondary battery.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.71.1-71.1
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• 2012

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) have been of great interest particularly in the automobile industries because of their high energy density and low pollutant emission. However, some of the issues such as, the necessarily high contents of Pt catalysts and their slow kinetics of cathode oxygen reduction reaction remain as obstacles in the commercialization of the PEMFC. In this presentation, after brief explanation on basic principles of PEMFC and its application to FC vehicles, recent researches to improve the activity and durability of Pt-based nano catalysts toward oxygen reduction will be introduced. It covers size and shape control of Pt nano particle, binary and ternary Pt-M alloys, novel core-shell nano structures of Pt, and a little bit about non-Pt catalysts. Strategies and methodologies for design and synthesis of novel catalysts will also be included.

• Proceeding of EDISON Challenge
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• 2016.03a
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• pp.336-338
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• 2016

Recent multifunctional two-dimensional material research has triggered huge interests in various modifications for substitution of atoms. Instead of novel metals used as the most popular catalysts, nonprecious transition metals are promising candidates for efficient oxidation-reduction transfers. The recent discovery of $Co@C_2N$ has an alternate possiblity as catalysts for the ORR(Oxygen Reduction Reaction) in DSSc(Dye Sensitized Solar Cell) and OER(Oxygen evolution cobalt oxides). Here we report spin-polarized DFT calculations of the structure doped Iron that is one of ferromagnetism atoms like Co to provide a basic desciption of the ferromagnetism of the elemental metals. The spin-density-funtional results present the most stable state energetically is when having pairwise up/down spin.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2014

A Pt catalyst ($Pt/G_xC_y$) supported on the hybrid supporting materials composed of graphene oxide (GO) and carbon black (C) was fabricated using polyol method to improve the durability of electrocatalysts. The electrochemical performances measured by cyclic voltammograms using three-electrode system revealed that the properly designed $Pt/G_xC_y$ catalyst exhibited higher durability than that of Pt/C catalyst without sacrificing an electrocatalytic acivity. In the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performed in acid solution with the rotating disk electrode, the $Pt/G_xC_y$ catalyst showed greater mass and area-specific activity than those of Pt/C catalyst.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.640-645
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• 2018

The design of non-precious electrocatalysts with low-cost, good stability, and an improved oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) to replace the platinium-based electrocatalyst is significant for application of fuel cells and metal-air batteries with high energy density. In this study, we synthesize iron-carbide($Fe_3C$) embedded nitrogen(N) doped carbon nanofiber(CNF) as electrocatalysts for ORRs using electrospinning, precursor deposition, and carbonization. To optimize electrochemical performance, we study the three stages according to different amounts of iron precursor. Among them, $Fe_3C$-embedded N doped CNF-1 exhibits the most improved electrochemical performance with a high onset potential of -0.18 V, a high $E_{1/2}$ of -0.29 V, and a nearly four-electron pathway (n = 3.77). In addition, $Fe_3C$-embedded N doped CNF-1 displays exellent long-term stabillity with the lowest ${\Delta}E_{1/2}=8mV$ compared to the other electrocatalysts. The improved electrochemical properties are attributed to synergestic effect of N-doping and well-dispersed iron carbide embedded in CNF. Consequently, $Fe_3C$-embedded N doped CNF is a promising candidate for non-precious electrocatalysts for high-performance ORRs.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.436-442
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• 2014

$LaCoO_3$ powders synthesized by Pechini process were pulverized by planetary ball-milling to decrease particle size and characterized as a catalyst in alkaline solution for oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR & OER). The changes of physical properties, such as particle size distribution, surface area and electric conductivity, were analyzed as a function of ball-milling time. Also, the variations of the crystal structure and surface morphology of ball-milled powders were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The electrochemically catalytic activities of the intrinsic $LaCoO_3$ powders decreased with increasing ball-milling time, but their electrochemical performance as an electrode improved by the increase of the surface area of the powder.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 2014

In this research, we evaluated the performance and characteristics of carbon supported PtM (M = Ni and Y) alloy catalysts (PtM/Cs) synthesized by a modified polyol method. With the PtM/Cs employed as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathodes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), their catalytic and ORR activities and electrical performance were investigated and compared with those of commercial Pt/C. Their particle sizes, particle distributions and electrochemically active surface areas (EAS) were measured by TEM and cyclic voltammetry (CV), while their ORR activity and electrical performance were explored using linear sweeping voltammetries with rotating disk electrodes and rotating ring-disk electrodes as well as PEMFC single cell tests. TEM and CV measurements show that PtM/Cs have the compatible particle size and EAS with Pt/C. When it comes to ORR activity, PtM/C showed the equivalent or better half-wave potential, kinetic current density, transferred electron number per oxygen molecule and $H_2O_2$ production(%) to or than commerical Pt/C. Based on results gained by the three electrode tests, when the PEMFC single cell tests were carried out, the current density measured at 0.6 V and maximum power density of PEMFC single cell adopting PtM/C catalysts were better than those adopting Pt/C catalyst. It is therefore concluded that PtM/C catalysts synthesized by modified polyol can result in the equivalent or better ORR catalytic capability and PEMFC performance to or than commercial Pt/C catalyst.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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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.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2011

Nanostructures consisting of $TiO_2$ particles as a core and carbon as a shell ($TiO_2$@C) were prepared by heat treatment of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles at high temperature in a methane atmosphere. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy showed that a carbon shell layer was formed well. These structures were used as supports for platinum nanoparticles and the hybrid particles exhibit improved catalytic activity and stability toward ORR compared to Pt on a carbon black (Vulcan XC-72R). It is likely that enhanced catalytic properties of the Pt on $TiO_2$@C could be due to the stability of the core-shell support in comparison with carbon black support.