Electroreduction of CO₂ to CO Paired with 1,2-Propanediol Oxidation to Lactic Acid: Toward an Economically Feasible System

In industrial electrochemical processes it is of paramount importance to achieve efficient, selective processes to produce valuable chemicals while minimizing the energy input. Although the electrochemical reduction of CO ₂ has received a lot of attention in the past decades, an economically feasible process has not yet been...

Increasing the lifetime of fuel cell catalysts

In this thesis, I discuss a novel idea of fuel cell catalyst regeneration to increase lifetime of the PEM fuel cell electrode/catalyst operation and, therefore, reduce the catalyst costs. As many of the catalyst degradation mechanisms are difficult to avoid, the regeneration is alternative option to prolong catalyst lifetime. In the thesis, I...

Bicontinuous microemulsions for high yield, wet synthesis of ultrafine nanoparticles: A general approach

The design of a synthesis strategy for metal nanoparticles by templating dense microemulsions is proposed. Particle size is controlled by surfactant size rather than by microemulsion composition. The strategy was demonstrated with various systems with different surfactant: cationic, anionic and non-ionic and of different sizes. Formulations were...

Experimental and molecular dynamics characterization of dense microemulsion systems: Morphology, conductivity and SAXS

Microemulsions are exciting systems that are promising as tuneable self-assembling templating reaction vessels at the nanoscale. Determination of the nano-structure of microemulsions is, however, not trivial, and there are fundamental questions regarding their design. We were able to reproduce experimental data for an important microemulsion...

Covalently, Non-Covalently and Non Functionalized Networked Graphitic Structures as robust catalyst support in PEM electrodes (abstract)

Synthesis of Durable Platinum Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells in Bicontinuous Microemulsion (abstract)

Reversible Nanoparticle Formation As a Potential Strategy for PEMFC Catalyst Regeneration (abstract)

Stimulated-healing of proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst

Platinum nanoparticles, which are used as catalysts in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), tend to degrade after long-term operation. We discriminate the following mechanisms of the degradation: poisoning, migration and coalescence, dissolution, and electrochemical Ostwald ripening. There are two ways to tackle this problem. The first...

Stimulated-healing of proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst

Platinum nanoparticles, which are used as catalysts in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), tend to degrade after long-term operation. We discriminate the following mechanisms of the degradation: poisoning, migration and coalescence, dissolution, and electrochemical Ostwald ripening. There are two ways to tackle this problem. The first...