• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.489-496
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• 2018

Fuel cells are seen as eco-friendly energy resources that convert chemical energy into electrical energy. However, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have problems such as the use of expensive platinum catalysts for the reduction of conductivity under high temperature humidification conditions. Thus, an anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) is attracting a great attention. Anion exchange fuel cells use non - Pt catalysts and have the advantage of better efficiency because of the lower activation energy of the oxygen reduction reaction. However, there are various problems to be solved including problems such as the electrode damage and reduction of ion conductivity by being exposed to the carbon dioxide. Therefore, this mini review proposes various solutions for different problems of anion exchange fuel cells through a wide range of research papers.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.1973-1978
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• 2014

Here, we present a facile method to synthesize Pt nanoparticles (NPs) and graphene composite materials (Pt/G) via vacuum filtration. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates were used to separate Pt/G composite and liquid phase. This method can be used to easily tune the mass ratio of Pt NPs and graphene. Pt NPs, graphene, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as building blocks were characterized by a variety of techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. We compared the electrocatalytic activities of Pt/G with Pt NP and CNT films (Pt/CNT) by cyclic voltammetry (CV), CO oxidation, and methanol oxidation. Pt/G was much more stable than pure Pt films. Also, Pt/G had better electrochemical activity, CO tolerance and methanol oxidation than Pt/CNT loaded with the same amount of Pt NPs due to the better dispersion of Pt NPs on graphene flakes without aggregation. We further synthesized Au@Pt disk/G and Pt nanorods/G to determine if our synthetic method can be applied to other NP shapes such as nanodisks and nanorods, for further electrocatalysis studies.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.659-666
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• 2019

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) generate electricity by electrochemical reactions of hydrogen and oxygen. PEMFCs are expected to alternate electric power generator using fossil fuels with various advantages of high power density, low operating temperature, and environmental-friendly products. PEMFCs have widely been used in a number of applications such as fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and stationary fuel cell systems. However, there are remaining technical issues, particularly the long-term durability of each part of fuel cells. Degradation of a carbon supported-platinum catalyst in the anode and cathode follows various mechanistic origins in different fuel cell operating conditions, and thus accelerated stress test (AST) is suggested to evaluate the durability of electrocatalyst. In this article, comparable protocols of the AST durability test are intensively explained.

• 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.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.393-399
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• 2016

Flower-like nickel oxide (NiO) catalysts were coated on NiCrAl alloy foam using a hydrothermal method. The structural, morphological, and chemical bonding properties of the NiO catalysts coated on the NiCrAl alloy foam were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. To obtain flower-like morphology of NiO catalysts on the NiCrAl alloy foam, we prepared three different levels of pH of the hydrothermal solution: pH-7.0, pH-10.0, and pH-11.5. The NiO morphology of the pH-7.0 and pH-10.0 samples exhibited a large size plate owing to the slow reaction of the hydroxide ($OH^-$) and nickel ions ($Ni^+$) in lower pH than pH-11.5. Flower-like NiO catalysts (${\sim}4.7{\mu}m-6.6{\mu}m$) were formed owing to the fast reaction of $OH^-$ and $Ni^{2+}$ by increased $OH^-$ concentration at high pH. Thus, the flower-like morphology of NiO catalysts on NiCrAl alloy foam depends strongly on the pH of the hydrothermal solution.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2013

Polymer exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells have multifunctional properties, and bipolar plates are one of the key components in these fuel cells. Generally, a bipolar plate has a gas flow path for hydrogen and oxygen liberated at the anode and cathode, respectively. In this study, the influence of iodine applied to a bipolar plate was investigated. Accordingly, we compared bipolar plates with and without iodine coating, and the performances of these plates were evaluated under operating conditions of $75^{\circ}C$ and 100% relative humidity. The membrane and platinum-carbon layer were affected by the iodine-coated bipolar plate. Bipolar plates coated with iodine and a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) were investigated by electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Polarization curves showed that the performance of a coated bipolar plate is approximately 19% higher than that of a plate without coating. Moreover, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis revealed that charge transfer resistance and membrane resistance decreased with the influence of the iodine charge transfer complex for fuel cells on the performance.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1446-1451
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• 2012

Levodopa or L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. L-DOPA is a famous treatment for Parkinson's disease symptoms. In this study, electroenzymatic synthesis of L-DOPA was performed in a three-electrode cell, comprising a Ag/AgCl reference electrode, a platinum wire auxiliary electrode, and a glassy carbon working electrode. L-DOPA had an oxidation peak at 376 mV and a reduction peak at -550 mV. The optimum conditions of pH, temperature, and amount of free tyrosinase enzyme were pH 7, $30^{\circ}C$, and 250 IU, respectively. The kinetic constant of the free tyrosinase enzyme was found for both cresolase and catacholase activity to be 0.25 and 0.4 mM, respectively. A cyclic voltammogram was used to investigate the electron transfer rate constant. The mean heterogeneous electron transfer rate ($k_e$) was $5.8{\times}10^{-4}$ cm/s. The results suggest that the electroenzymatic method could be an alternative way to produce L-DOPA without the use of a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.206-211
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• 2005

Mediated electrochemical oxidation (MEO) of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) of molecular weight of 1000, 4000 and 20000, was carried out on both platinum (Pt) and titanium-iridium electrodes in 8.0 M nitric acid solution containing 0.5 M Fe(II) and Co(II) ion. The electrochemical parameters such as current densities, kinds of electrode, electrolyte concentration and removal efficiency were investigated in both Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Co(III)/Co(II) redox systems. The PEGs was decomposed into carbon dioxide by MEO in Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Co(III)/Co(II) redox system during 180 min and 210 min at the current density of $0.67A/cm^2$ on the Pt electrode. Removal efficiency of PEGs by MEO was better in Co(III)/Co(II) redox system than Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox system, indicating mediated electrochemical removal efficiency was 100%.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.153-156
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• 2012

In this study, two different methods were studied to prepare Pt-Pd catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells in order to enhance the electrochemical efficiency. The catalysts were compared with simultaneously deposited Pt-Pd and sequentially deposited Pt-Pd. The electrocatalysts contained 20 wt% of metal loading on carbon black and 1 : 2 of Pt : Pd atomic ratio. Electrochemical properties of the catalysts were compared by measuring cyclic voltammetries and average sizes and lattice parameters were measured by transmission electron microscopy images and x-ray diffraction. As a result, sequentially deposited Pt-Pd/C catalysts showed better electrochemical properties than those of simultaneously deposited Pt-Pd/C catalysts.