Electrocatalysis
Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR)
Fuel cells are promising candidates for the production of clean energy.
However, their development is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction, which state-of-the-art catalyst is currently based on platinum.
In the Titirici group, we work on improving the performance and sustainability of oxygen reduction catalysts, by:
· Developing Fe-based ORR catalysts (Angus)
· Developing biomass-derived ORR catalysts (Andrea)
· Optimizing the carbon support (Mengnan)
Nitrogen Reduction
Electrochemical nitrogen reduction to produce ammonia is a sustainable alternative to the current Haber-Bosch process.
Making ammonia electrochemically in a selective and stable fashion remains a challenge. Preferential hydrogen evolution reaction and electrolyte degradation are the major limitations preventing electrochemical nitrogen reduction from becoming a viable process.
In the Titirici group, we aim to improve the performance of the system by:
Carbon Dioxide Reduction
Electrochemical CO2 reduction can lead to the production of high added value chemicals such as ethylene or propanol. The design of catalysts that are active and selective towards the desired product is critical.
In the Titirici group we:
Alcohol electro-oxidation
The electro-oxidation of alcohols is an efficient way to co-produce hydrogen and high-value chemicals. Electro-oxidation of alcohols is thermodynamically more favourable compared to water oxidation, so requires a lower cell potential and less energy input.
In the Titirici group, we aim to optimise electro catalyst stability and selectivity for the following alcohols: