Recent approaches in density functional theory (ab-initio studies, DFT) combining with experimental studies have allowed researchers to precisely simulate catalytic activities and gain fundamental understandings of the bifunctional oxygen reactions (4-6). Especially, it enables designing of efficient non-precious material-based catalysts and effectively minimizing the use of noble metals to render sufficiently active low cost catalysts such as non-precious transition metal-based materials, functionalized carbon-based materials, metal–nitrogen complex and noble metals (7). Particularly in the case of minimizing the use of noble metals, Pt3Ni has been revealed to show enhanced ORR activity due to downward shifted d-band center in electronic structure by Nørskov and associates, which results in a weak adsorption with oxygen intermediates on catalytic surface (6). Understanding eg orbital of valence electrons makes it possible to predict the oxygen reactivity that can be controlled by the number of outer electrons of transition metal in non-precious catalysts (4, 8). In addition, the electrochemical stability has been associated with the dissolution potential and cohesive energy term modelled by changing the morphology and size of the transition metal nanoparticles, as well as support materials (9, 10).
Accordingly, a synergetic approach using both experimental and ab initio computational studies with physicochemical analyses is required to efficiently and accurately develop a new catalyst with highly improved activity. To apply energy conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells, metal-air batteries systems, in this work, we have predicted the ORR and OER activity and stability for self-assembled nitrogen-doped fullerenes (N-fullerene), and studied the perovskite oxides for the reaction mechanism in aspect of understanding OER activity. In addition, a highly efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst, combining Pd and three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous spinel cobalt oxide (3DOM Co3O4), has manly discussed in terms of obtaining a stability. This study provides a way of rationally designing efficient electro-catalyst based on the principle that governs thermodynamic and electrochemical activities and stabilities by applying first principles calculations and state of the art experimental measurements to well-defined model systems.
- M. E. Scofield, H. Liu and S. S. Wong, Chem. Soc. Rev., 44, 5836 (2015).
- Z.-L. Wang, D. Xu, J.-J. Xu and X.-B. Zhang, Chem Soc Rev, 43, 7746 (2014).
- J. K. Norskov and C. H. Christensen, Science 312, 1322 (2006).
- M. H. Seo, H. W. Park, D. U. Lee, M. G. Park and Z. Chen, Acs Catal, 5, 4337 (2015).
- M. G. Park, D. U. Lee, M. H. Seo, Z. P. Cano and Z. Chen, Small, 12, 2707 (2016).
- J. Greeley, I. E. L. Stephens, A. S. Bondarenko, T. P. Johansson, H. A. Hansen, T. F. Jaramillo, J. Rossmeisl, I. Chorkendorff and J. K. Nørskov, Nat. Chem., 1, 552 (2009).
- Z. Chen, D. Higgins, A. Yu, L. Zhang and J. Zhang, Energy Environ. Sci., 4, 3167 (2011).
- F. Calle-Vallejo, O. A. Díaz-Morales, M. J. Kolb and M. T. M. Koper, ACS Catal., 5, 869 (2015).
- M. H. Seo, S. M. Choi, E. J. Lim, I. H. Kwon, J. K. Seo, S. H. Noh, W. B. Kim and B. Han, Chemsuschem, 7, 2609 (2014).
- D. Higgins, M. A. Hoque, M. H. Seo, R. Wang, F. Hassan, J.-Y. Choi, M. Pritzker, A. Yu, J. Zhang and Z. Chen, Adv. Funct. Mater., 24, 4325 (2014).