New approach in designing materials for energy conversion and energy storage systems

The project research is based on a new approach in designing materials for the direct conversion of chemical and solar energy into electrical (fuel and solar cells) and for energy storage (supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries). Research of catalytic materials for the fuel cell H2(CO)/O2 is focused on the surface morphology. Model systems (Pt single crystals and single crystal binary alloys) will be studied aiming to determination, characterization and stabilization of active sites at the electrode for the reaction of interest. Theoretical DFT calculations will be used to explain the link between activity and surface morphology. The correlation between the crystal structure of nanoparticles and monocrystals should enable designing effective and stable nanocatalysts based on the results obtained on model systems. Non-platinum catalysts, composed of transition metal oxides and their alloys, will be synthesized. Research also encompasses synthesis, chemical, structural and electrochemical characterization of multi-component fine grained electrode and supercapacitor materials, electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts. These composites of mixed oxides of noble and transition metals and/or C materials may also find application in electrochemical synthesis, degradation of environmental pollutants and corrosion protection. Their synthesis is based on the sol-gel procedures. Electrochemical, spectroscopic and microscopic methods will be used for characterization of the materials.