Hiring Institution
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA-T)

PhD-Awarding Institutions
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA-T)
University of New South Wales (UNSW)

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Option 1

Synthesising Single Atom Pt catalysts on metal nanoparticles for enhanced electrocatalytic activity in methanol fuel cells

Methanol fuel cells are important for devices that require high energy. Platinum-ruthenium is the most active methanol oxidation catalysts which can convert methanol to carbon dioxide. However, the Pt atoms on the catalysts can easily become poisoned by CO which forms during the conversion of methanol. Depositing Pt directly onto Ru nanoparticles creates single atom Pt. These single atom Pt sites are unique in their catalytic properties being highly active and do not become poisoned by CO.

In this project, nanoparticles will be decorated with single Pt atoms for use as high performance catalysts. By controlling the position of Pt atoms on different metal nanoparticle structures, both electrocatalytic activity and stability will be optimised to create the most advanced and effective nanoparticle catalysts. This project will use the latest aberration corrected transmission electron microscope to characterize the catalysts.

Option 2

Controlling nanoparticle structure for active and stable catalysts in renewable energy storage

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for the storage and conversion of H2 fuel and requires highly active and highly stable catalysts to drive it. Our expertise in nanoparticle synthesis has allowed us to create the most active and stable nanocatalysts for OER reported to date. We achieved this by synthesizing 3D branched Ru nanoparticles with structural features that both prevent dissolution and improve oxidation catalysis.

In this project, Ru nanoparticles will be synthesized with low index facets which are critical for achieving stable reaction kinetics that prevent dissolution of Ru and enhance the catalytic activity. This work will combine the development of synthetic methods to control the size, shape and composition of Ru-based nanocatalysts, with advanced characterisation using high-resolution transmission electron microscope and also evaluation of their electrocatalytic performance. This allows for the relationships between nanoparticle structure and catalytic performance to be fundamentally understood and tuned to create leading nanocatalyst materials.

Option 3

Synthesising strained Pt on metal nanoparticles for enhanced electrocatalytic activity in hydrogen fuel cells

In order to convert to sustainable energy cells in a hydrogen economy, nanocatalysts need to be high-performing and use minimal amounts of scarce Pt. Strained Pt on the surface of a metal nanoparticle is a promising structure for highly active fuel cell catalysts. Depositing Pt directly onto Ni nanoparticles creates highly strained Pt that maximises the specific and minimises the amount of expensive Pt that is used to provide the highest mass activities reported to date.

In this project, nanoparticles will be decorated with small clusters of Pt atoms for use as high performance catalysts. By controlling the position of Pt atoms on different metal nanoparticle structures, both electrocatalytic activity and stability will be optimised to create the most advanced and effective nanoparticle catalysts.

Lise-Marie Lacroix
Richard Tilley

Nanoparticle synthesis, Electrocatalysis