RI: Potentiostat and upgrade of IR Microscope in support of Investigations of Anion Exchange Polymer Interfacial Interactions
Abstract
Funding from the Army Research Office under grant W911NF-12-R-0012-04 titled ÒInvestigations of Anion Exchange Polymer Interfacial InteractionsÓ is currently enabling us to enhance our understanding of the interactions that occur between anion exchange polymers and catalyst materials. Though we can complement our fundamental studies of these materials in relevant electrochemical systems, including galvanic or fuel cell environments, there is a growing need to study them under conditions of electrolysis. While most studies on AEMs have focused on their application in fuel cells, electrolysis is also an area where AEM technology can still make a significant impact. AEM electrolysis has not been extensively studied, and progress is needed in the areas of power efficiency, stability and cost reduction in order for the technology to contribute to the production of electrofuels and chemicals such as hydrogen, ammonia and hydrocarbons from CO2. The research interests of the ARL are shifting from studying anion exchange and bi-polar membranes for fuel cell applications to instead generating valuable products electrochemically, such as ammonia, hydrogen, or more complex fuels. Therefore, there is a need to compliment the development of our materials with studying them under electrolysis conditions. High voltages and increased temperatures are required for electrolysis to overcome kinetic and resistance limitations for good performance, and currently our lab is not equipped with a potentiostat capable of running electrolysis experiments. We are requesting a VSP-300 Biologic potentiostat to enable our lab to expand research in anion exchange membranes to electrolysis applications. The proposed instrumentation will allow us to continue making advances in our highly tunable anion exchange membrane technology to contribute to the development of the AEM electrolysis field. Tuning our AEMs for electrolysis applications will involve increasing the conductivity by altering triblock polymer chemistry and morphology while maintaining selectivity for hydroxyl ions only. The potentiostat will allow us to compare electrolysis performance of different membrane structures in order to direct our research efforts. Additionally, we wish to leverage the Nicolet iN10 FTIR microscope purchased under a previous DURIP, which requires expensive maintenance for the replacement of the laser power supply and is necessary for continued use of the instrument. There are a wide range of possible experiments we can continue to do with this microscope that would contribute to our currently funded research. The chemical mapping capabilities of the IR microscope are paramount to identify certain bonds that are changing over the area of a film upon introducing catalyst particles, and the effect of ionomer chemistry on these interactions can easily be investigated with this method. Funding this instrumentation will provide our lab with new research capabilities that will ultimately enhance the quality of our research currently funded by the ARO.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910286
Entities
People
- Andrew M Herring
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Colorado School of Mines
- United States Army