Enhancing the Performance of Energy Conversion and Storage Systems through 2D Modified Electrochemical Interfaces

As the world population continues to grow, the demand for energy increases exponentially, creating a significant challenge for modern society. The current reliance on fossil fuels to meet this demand has led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and subsequently contributed to global warming, a crisis with severe consequences for the planet. The need for alternative and cleaner ways of producing, capturing, and utilizing energy has never been more critical. This project addresses the global challenges of increasing energy demand and the need for a transition to alternative and sustainable energy sources. We address the damaging impact of burning fossil fuels on global warming via the potential solutions for transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, including renewable energy conversion and storage. We conclude that finding alternative and cleaner ways of producing, capturing, and utilizing energy is vital to ensure a sustainable future for humanity and the planet. Electrochemistry involves studying reactions that convert chemical energy into electrical energy or vice versa. These reactions are ubiquitous in our daily lives, from the photosynthesis of plants to the production of industrial materials like aluminum and titanium. Electrochemical reactions are essential to many technologies, including electroplating, CO detectors, fuel cells, and Li-ion batteries. However, with the growing energy and climate crisis, it is essential to reduce our energy and carbon footprint, and electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies have become critical to achieving a sustainable future. These technologies, including fuel cells, electrolyzers, batteries, and photoelectrochemical devices, are at the forefront of this transition. While most of these devices have been in use for almost a century, they are far from reaching their full potential as defined by the laws of thermodynamics. Their performance rests almost entirely on the electrochemical interface - the boundary between the electronic conductor (electrode) and the ionic conductor (electrolyte). This proposal aims to develop a new class of electrochemical interfaces through the modification of the traditional electrode-electrolyte interface with 2D architectures (2DA). These interfaces will possess unique physical and chemical properties that can be adjusted as needed. The novel electrode-2DA-electrolyte interfaces will selectively allow certain species from the electrolyte to reach the electrode surface while excluding undesired ions and molecules. This will result in more active, stable, and selective interfaces, which will positively impact the performance of energy storage and conversion devices. More specifically we will improve the activity of the platinum catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in phosphoric acid fuel cell, the stability of anode/electrolyte interface in Li-ion battery and the selectivity of electrolytic reduction of CO2 to C2 products.