• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2009

The steam reformer for hydrogen production from methane is studied by a numerical method. Langmuir- Hinshelwood model is incorporated for catalytic surface reactions, and the pseudo-homogeneous model is used to take into account local equilibrium phenomena between a catalyst and bulk gas. Dominant chemical reactions are Steam Reforming (SR) reaction, Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction, and Direct Steam Reforming (DSR) reaction. The numerical results are validated with experimental results at the same operating conditions. Using the validated code, parametric study has been numerically performed in view of the steam reformer performance. As increasing a wall temperature, the fuel conversion increases due to the high heat transfer rate. When Steam to Carbon Ratio (SCR) increases, the concentration of carbon monoxide decreases since WGS reaction becomes more active. When increasing Gas Hourly Space Velocity (GHSV), the fuel conversion decreases due to the heat transfer limitation and the low residence time. The reactor shape effects are also investigated. The length and radius of cylindrical reactors are changed at the same catalyst volume. The longer steam reformer is, the better steam reformer performs. However, system energy efficiency decreases due to the large pressure drop.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.636-641
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• 2016

Alkaline water electrolysis is commercial hydrogen production technology. It is possible to operate MW scale plant. Because It used non-precious metal for electrode. But It has relatively low current density and low efficiency. In this study, research objective is development of anode for alkaline water electrolysis with low cost, high corrosion resistance and high efficiency. Stainless steel 316L (SUS 316L) was selected for a substrate of electrode. To improve corrosion resistance of substrate, Nickel (Ni) layer was electrodeposited on SUS 316L. Ni-Fe alloy was electrodeposited on the passivated Ni layer as active catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction(OER). We optimized preparation condition of Ni-Fe alloy electrodeposition by changing current density, electrodeposition time and composition ratio of Ni-Fe electrodeposition bath. This electrodes were electrochemically evaluated by using Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and Cyclic voltammetry (CV). The Ni-Fe alloy (Ni : Fe = 1 : 1) showed best activity of OER. The optimized electrode decreased overpotential about 40% at $100mA/cm^2$ compared with Ni anode.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.105-112
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• 2022

Copper (Cu)-based catalysts have been widely used in a methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction for hydrogen production for air-independent propulsion (AIP) applications and their good catalytic activities have attracted much attention. However, the agglomeration of the catalytic active site Cu causes deteriorating the catalytic performance and suppression of Cu agglomeration is a crucial issue in the AIP applications that the MSR system is typically operated at 250-300℃ for a long time. R. Sakai et al. recently showed a computational study on the anchoring effect that reduces an agglomeration of active sites by doping in a supporter. In order to present the anchoring effect on 𝛾-Al₂O₃ supported Cu-based catalysts, in this study, the adsorption energies of Cu on X-doped (X=ruthenium, phosphorus, silicon) 𝛾-Al₂O₃ were calculated and Cu adsorption energy decreased due to a change of the electronic structure originated from doping, thereby proving the anchoring effect.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.3163-3168
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• 2014

Three kinds of lanthanum oxides ($La_2CO_3$) were synthesized from different methods and used as a catalyst in the transesterification of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with glycerol for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate (GLC). Lanthanum oxide synthesized using a surfactant (S-La) showed a much higher GLC yield of 89.9% compared to other lanthanum oxides synthesized by calcination (C-La) and precipitation (P-La) at the reaction conditions of $90^{\circ}C$, DMC/glycerol = 2, and catalyst/glycerol = 5 wt %. The best catalyst was obtained when the surfactant/La weight ratio was 12. XRD study revealed that S-La has large amount of monoclinic and hexagonal $La_2O_2CO_3$ phases, which are assumed as active sites of the catalyst for the reaction.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.345-351
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• 2017

Single stage water-gas shift reaction has been carried out at a gas hourly space velocity of $150,494h^{-1}$ over $Cu-Ce_{0.8}Zr_{0.2}O_2$ catalysts prepared by a co-precipitation method. Cu loading was optimized to obtain highly active co-precipitated $Cu-Ce_{0.8}Zr_{0.2}O_2$ catalysts for single stage water-gas shift reaction. 80 wt.% $Cu-Ce_{0.8}Zr_{0.2}O_2$ exhibited the excellent catalytic performance as well as 100% $CO_2$ selectivity (CO conversion = 27% at $240^{\circ}C$ for 50 h). The high activity and stability of 80 wt.% $Cu-Ce_{0.8}Zr_{0.2}O_2$ are correlated to low activation energy and large amount of surface Cu atoms.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Cu/Mn/Ce catalysts for water gas shift (WGS) reaction were synthesized by urea-nitrate combustion method with the fixed molar ratio of Cu/Mn as 1:4 and 1:1 with the doping concentration of Ce from 0.3 to 0.8 mol%. The prepared catalysts were characterized with SEM, BET, XRD, XPS, $H_2$-TPR, $CO_2$ TPD, $N_2O$ chemisorption analysis. The catalytic activity tests were carried out at a GHSV of $28,000h^{-1}$ and a temperature range of 200 to $400^{\circ}C$. The Cu/Mn(CM) catalysts formed Cu-Mn mixed oxide of spinel structure ($Cu_{1.5}Mn_{1.5}O_4$) and manganese oxides ($MnO_x$). However, when a small amount of Ce was doped, the growth of $Cu_{1.5}Mn_{1.5}O_4$ was inhibited and the degree of Cu dispersion were increased. Also, the doping of Ce on the CM catalyst reduced the reduction temperature and the base site to induce the active site of the catalyst to be exposed on the catalyst surface. From the XPS analysis, it was confirmed that maintaining the oxidation state of Cu appropriately was a main factor in the WGS reaction. Consequently, Ce as support and dopant in the water gas shift reaction catalysts exhibited the enhanced catalytic activities on CM catalysts. We found that proper amount of Ce by preparing catalysts with different Cu/Mn ratios.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.137-145
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• 2021

Among the non-precious metal catalysts, iron-nitrogen doped carbon (Fe-N/C) catalysts have been recognized as the most promising candidates for an alternative to Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) under alkaline and acidic conditions. In this study, the nano replication method using mesoporous silica, which features tunable primary particle sizes and shape, is employed to prepare the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts with different shapes. Platelet SBA-15, irregular KIT-6, and spherical silica particle (SSP) were selected as a template to generate three different kinds of shapes of the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalyst. Physicochemical properties of mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts are characterized by using small-angle X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy images. According to the electrochemical evaluation, there is no morphological preference of mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts toward the ORR activity with half-cell configuration under alkaline electrolyte. By implementing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of Fe and N atoms in the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts, it is possible to verify that the activity towards ORR highly depends on the portions of "Fe-N" species in the catalysts regardless of the shape of catalysts. It was suggested that active site distribution in the Fe-N/C is one important factor towards ORR activity.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.237-242
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• 2022

Designing and producing a low-cost, high-current-density electrode with good electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is still a major challenge for the industrial hydrogen energy economy. In this study, nanostructured Fe-doped CuCo(OH)₂ was discovered to be a precedent electrocatalyst for OER with low overpotential, low Tafel slope, good durability, and high electrochemically active surface sites at reduced mass loadings. Fe-doped CuCo(OH)₂ nanosheets are made using a hydrothermal synthesis process. These nanosheets are clumped together to form a highly open hierarchical structure. When used as an electrocatalyst, the Fe-doped CuCo(OH)₂ nanosheets required an overpotential of 260 mV to reach a current density of 50 mA cm^-2. Also, it showed a small Tafel slope of 72.9 mV dec^-1, and superior stability while catalyzing the generation of O₂ continuously for 20 hours. The Fe-doped CuCo(OH)₂ was found to have a large number of active sites which provide hierarchical and stable transfer routes for both electrolyte ions and electrons, resulting in exceptional OER performance.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.339-344
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• 2017

Reaction characteristics and catalytic activities on reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction over $Pt/TiO_2$ catalyst and Pt based catalysts added promoters were investigated. It was confirmed that RWGS reaction activity was affected by the kind of supports and active metals and the $Pt/TiO_2$ catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity. From various inlet $CO_2$ concentration tests and also the evaluation of thermodynamic equilibrium conversion, the catalytic activity of $Pt/TiO_2$ catalyst could be evaluated objectively and it was found to be higher than that of commercial catalysts. The catalytic activity could increase by adding Ca and Na as promoters. The XPS analysis revealed that the catalytic activity is closely correlated with the electron density of surface active sites.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1195-1198
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• 2013

Nickel hexacyanoferrate supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NiHCF NPs) were synthesized and studied for oxygen reduction reactions in direct methanol fuel cell. The NiHCF support was readily synthesized by a comixing of $Ni(OCOCH_3)_2$ and equimolar $K_3[Fe(CN)_6]$ solution into DI water under rigorous stirring. After the preparation of NiHCF support, Pd NPs were loaded on NiHCF via L-ascorbic acid reduction method at $80^{\circ}C$. Pd-NiHCF NPs were electrochemically active for oxygen reduction reaction in 0.1 M $HClO_4$ solution. X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis was conducted to measure the white line intensity of Pd-NiHCF to verify the OH adsorption. As a comparison, carbon supported Pd NPs exhibited same white line intensity. This study provides a general synthetic approach to easily load Pd NPs on porous coordination polymers such as NiHCF and can provide further light to load Pd based alloy NPs on NiHCF framework.