• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제56권6호
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• pp.427-436
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• 2023

In the industry, it is recognized that human activities significantly lead to a large amount of wastewater, mainly due to the increased use of water and energy. As a result, the growing field of wastewater resource technology is getting more attention. The common technology for hydrogen production, water electrolysis, requires purified water, leading to the need for desalination and reprocessing. However, producing hydrogen directly from wastewater could be a more cost-effective option compared to traditional methods. To achieve this, a series of first-principle computational simulations were conducted to assess how waste nutrient ions affect standard electrolysis catalysts. This study focused on understanding the adsorption mechanisms of byproducts related to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis, using Co₃O₄ as a typical non-precious metal catalyst. At the same time, efforts were made to develop a comprehensive free energy prediction model for more accurate predictions of OER results.

• 한국표면공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국표면공학회 2017년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.168.1-168.1
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• 2017

화석연료를 대체하기 위한 에너지원으로서 수소에너지에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 수전해는 무한 청정한 물을 전기분해하여 수소를 생산하는 기술로써 대표적으로 알칼리 수전해(alkaline water electrolysis, AWE)와 고분자 전해질막 수전해(polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis, PEMWE)가 있다. 그 중, AWE는 알칼리 분위기에서 물분해 반응이 진행되어 촉매의 부식 위험성이 비교적 낮기 때문에 상대적으로 저렴한 비귀금속 산화물 촉매를 사용할 수 있다는 장점이 있다. 본 연구에서는 비귀금속인 Cu, Co를 이용하여 $CuCoO_4$를 합성한 후 산소 발생 촉매 물질로 활용하여 산소 발생 반응(Oxygen Evolution Reaction, OER)특성을 고찰하였다.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.121-130
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• 2015

The micro emulsion method has been successfully used for preparing perovskite LaCoO₃ with uniform, fine-shaped nanoparticles showing high activity as electro catalysts in oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). They are, therefore, promising candidates for the air-cathode in metal-air rechargeable batteries. Since the activity of a catalyst is highly dependent on its specific surface area, nanoparticles of the perovskite catalyst are desirable for catalyzing both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. Herein, LaCoO₃ powder was also prepared by sol-gel method for comparison, with a broad particle distribution and high agglomeration. The electro catalytic properties of LaCoO₃ and LaCoO₃-carbon Super P mixture layers toward the ORR were studied comparatively using the rotating disk electrode technique in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte to elucidate the effect of carbon Super P. Koutecky-Levich theory was applied to acquire the overall electron transfer number (n) during the ORR, calculated to be ~3.74 for the LaCoO₃-Super P mixture, quite close to the theoretical value (4.0), and ~2.7 for carbon-free LaCoO₃. A synergistic effect toward the ORR is observed when carbon is present in the LaCoO₃ layer. Carbon is assumed to be more than an additive, enhancing the electronic conductivity of the oxide catalyst. It is suggested that ORRs, catalyzed by the LaCoO₃-Super P mixture, are dominated by a 2+2-electron transfer pathway to form the final, hydroxyl ion product.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제25권4호
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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.

• 전기화학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.97-104
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• 2020

전기 물 분해 기술 중 주요 과제 중 하나는 귀금속의 Ir과 Ru 기반의 촉매를 대체할 수 있는 고성능, 저비용의 산소 발생 반응 (OER) 촉매를 개발하는 것이다. 본 연구에서는 CoSO₄와 Fe(NO₃)₃ 수용액을 1차 가열 후 KNO₃와 NaOH 추가 반응을 이용한 침전법을 이용하여 OER 촉매로 사용 가능한 역스피넬 구조의 약 44 nm 크기를 갖는 CoFe₂O₄ 나노 입자를 합성하였다. CoFe₂O₄ 나노 입자의 합성 시간을 조절하여 입자 및 결정립 크기를 제어하였다. CoFe₂O₄ 나노 입자의 합성 시간이 6시간일 때, 높은 전도성과 전기 화학 표면적을 가졌다. 이 CoFe₂O₄ (6 h)는 전류 밀도 10 mA/㎠의 과전압 및 Tafel slope는 각각 395 mV 및 52 mV/dec으로 나타났다. 또한, 이 촉매는 10 mA/㎠에서 18시간 동안 우수한 내구성을 나타냈다.

• 한국분말재료학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.411-417
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• 2022

Environmental issues such as global warming due to fossil fuel use are now major worldwide concerns, and interest in renewable and clean energy is growing. Of the various types of renewable energy, green hydrogen energy has recently attracted attention because of its eco-friendly and high-energy density. Electrochemical water splitting is considered a pollution-free means of producing clean hydrogen and oxygen and in large quantities. The development of non-noble electrocatalysts with low cost and high performance in water splitting has also attracted considerable attention. In this study, we successfully synthesized a NiCo₂O₄/NF electrode for an oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline water splitting using a hydrothermal method, which was followed by post-heat treatment. The effects of heat treatment on the electrochemical performance of the electrodes were evaluated under different heat-treatment conditions. The optimized NCO/NF-300 electrode showed an overpotential of 416 mV at a high current density of 50 mA/cm² and a low Tafel slope (49.06 mV dec^-1). It also showed excellent stability (due to the large surface area) and the lowest charge transfer resistance (12.59 Ω). The results suggested that our noble-metal free electrodes have great potential for use in developing alkaline electrolysis systems.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제56권4호
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• pp.243-249
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• 2023

Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) via electrochemical oxidation process can replace oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for green hydrogen production since UOR has lower thermodynamic potential (0.37 V_RHE) than that of OER (1.23 V_RHE). However, in the case of UOR, 6 electrons are required for the entire UOR. For this reason, the reaction rate is slower than OER, which requires 4 electrons. In addition, it is an important challenge to develop catalysts in which both oxidation reactions (UOR and OER) are active since the active sites of OER and UOR are opposite to each other. We prove that among the NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles synthesized by the hydrothermal method at various synthesis temperatures, NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticle with properly controlled particle size and crystallinity can actively operate OER and UOR at the same time.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.299-308
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• 2014

This study presents a review on Chemical looping combustion (CLC) development, design aspects and modeling. The CLC is in fact an unmixed combustion based on the transfer of oxygen to the fuel by a solid oxygen carrier material avoiding the direct contact between air and fuel. The CLC process is considered as a very promising combustion technology for power plants and chemical industries due to its inherent capability of $CO_2$ capturing, which avoids extra separation costs of the of $CO_2$ from the rest of flue gases. This review covers the issues related to oxygen carrier materials. The modeling works are reviewed and different aspects of modeling are considered, as well. The main drawbacks and future research and prospects are remarked.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.92-96
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• 2019

Transition metal oxide is widely used as a water electrolysis catalyst to substitute for a noble metal catalyst such as $IrO_2$ and $RuO_2$. In this study, the sol-gel method is used to synthesize the $Cu_xCo_{3-x}O_4$ catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER),. The CuxCo3-xO4 is synthesized at various calcination temperatures from $250^{\circ}C$ to $400^{\circ}C$ for 4 h. The $Cu_xCo_{3-x}O_4$ synthesized at $300^{\circ}C$ has a perfect spinel structure without residues of the precursor and secondary phases, such as CuO. The particle size of $Cu_xCo_{3-x}O_4$ increases with an increase in calcination temperature. Amongst all the samples studied, $Cu_xCo_{3-x}O_4$, which is synthesized at 300?, has the highest activity for the OER. Its onset potential for the OER is 370 mV and the overpotential at $10mA/cm^2$ is 438 mV. The tafel slope of $Cu_xCo_{3-x}O_4$ synthesized at $300^{\circ}C$ has a low value of 58 mV/dec. These results are mainly explained by the increase in the available active surface area of the $Cu_xCo_{3-x}O_4$ catalyst.

• 마이크로전자및패키징학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.79-89
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• 2023

산성 조건에서의 산소 발생 반응(OER)의 효율 향상 및 안정적인 전기 촉매 개발은 양이온 교환 막 (PEM) 수전해 장치의 상용화를 위한 바람직한 목표다. 여기서 우리는 산성 OER에 대해 Ir 함량이 낮은 유망한 촉매로서 Ir이 도핑된 수소화 티타네이트 (Ir-HTO) 나노벨트를 보고한다. 크게 확인할 수 있는 {100}면이 있는 단결정 HTO 나노벨트에 낮은 함량의 Ir(~3.36 at %)을 추가하면 산성 조건에서 OER에 대한 촉매 활성과 안정성이 크게 향상된다. Ir-HTO는 상용적인 대조군 IrO2 촉매보다 성능이 뛰어나다. 10mA cm^-2의 전류밀도에서 과전압은 Ir-HTO가 25% 감소했다. Ir-HTO 촉매 성능은 산성 OER에 대한 가장 효율적인 전기 촉매로서 자리 잡고 있다. 심층적인 전기화학적 특성화를 통해 Ir-HTO에 대해 개선된 고유한 촉매 활성 및 안정성도 확인되었다. 따라서, 우리의 실험결과는 낮은 함량의 Ir이 도핑된 단결정 HTO 나노벨트가 산성조건에서 효율적이고 내구성 있는 OER 촉매로 유망 될 수 있음을 보여준다.