Method and facility

Traditional wet chemistry

In our team, we use wet chemical method with reflux and condensation glassware systems to prepare various catalyst particles.

High temperature reactor

Methoden

We use tube furnace to sinter or reduce catalyst material samples under vacuum and inert gas conditions or reducible H2/N2 forming gas at high temperature up to 1800 °C.

For examples we use the method to synthesize PtRu alloy particles or carbon supported Pt nanoparticles by impregnation method.

Advanced automized reactor

Methoden

We develop synthesis methods using microwave reactor, CEM Discover 2.0, to synthesize various catalysts based on precious/nonprecious metals and alloys. This device enables wide range of temperature, pressurized conditions in sealed reaction vessels. This effectively replaces traditional wet-chemical and autoclave apparatuses. Synthesis batch can be flexibly performed in various vessel sizes: 10, 35, 100 mL or non-pressurized standard glassware up to a 125mL round-bottom flask with magnetic stirring functionality. An application example is the polyol method to synthesize Pt nanoparticles

Moreover, we develop high-throughput methods using auto samplers with 48 position modules. This enables fully automated reaction synthesis and therefore can quickly and systematically study multi metal catalysts with various compositions.

Rotating disc electrode (RDE)

We use rotating disc electrode (RDE) method to screen and control the quality of our synthesized catalysts. Promising catalysts will be up scaled to large batches for MEA fabrications and testing.

Methoden

Characterization methods within our department are freely accessible for the team as:

  • Scribner fuel cell test stations
  • PEMWE test stations
  • AEMWE test stations
  • CO2-electrolysis test stations
  • TEM, SEM, XPS, XRD, XFS
  • Spray coater (Sono Tek ExactaCoat)
  • Electrospinner
  • ZetaSizer Nano SP
  • Turbiscan Tower

Last Modified: 22.08.2022