Development of stable metal oxide electrodes for the conversion of electricity to chemical fuels
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The conversion of renewable sources of electricity to molecular fuels is widely viewed as an important component of our future energy economy. To accomplish this, stable electrodes are necessary to perform electrochemical reactions of interest for extended periods of operation with high efficiency. In the first part of this thesis, a method to immobilize homogeneous catalysts to a metal oxide electrode through click chemistry on an attached p-azidophenyl phosphonic acid linker is presented. This strategy allows for a convergent approach to surface modification that results in stable attachments while allowing for facile charge transfer between the electrode and the immobilized catalyst. The deposition of p-azidophenyl phosphonic acid to the metal oxide surface and subsequent click with molecules of interest was investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrochemistry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical oxidation of water to supply the electrons need for fuel synthesis remains a challenge due to the lack of materials which can both efficiently remove four electrons and withstand the harsh oxidative conditions of the reaction. A novel type of dimensionally stable anode utilizing silicon as the base substrate and also as an in-situ photon collector has been developed. It uses a thin amount of titanium dioxide as a protective layer deposited by atomic layer deposition. A thin layer of physical vapor deposited iridium is used as the water oxidation catalyst. Results shown include water oxidation efficiency in both light and dark conditions and over a range of pH values with an emphasis on the operational stability and durability of the anodes.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2011 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Prange, Jonathan David | |
|---|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Chemistry | |
| Primary advisor | Chidsey, Christopher E. D. (Christopher Elisha Dunn) | |
| Thesis advisor | Chidsey, Christopher E. D. (Christopher Elisha Dunn) | |
| Thesis advisor | Stack, T. (T. Daniel P.), 1959- | |
| Thesis advisor | Waymouth, Robert M | |
| Advisor | Stack, T. (T. Daniel P.), 1959- | |
| Advisor | Waymouth, Robert M |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Jonathan David Prange. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Chemistry. |
| Thesis | Ph.D. Stanford University 2011 |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2011 by Jonathan David Prange
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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