A new device designed to help scientists study in detail what happens during an electrochemical reaction, in collaboration with researchers at the Brazilian unit Brazil Synchrotron Optical Laboratory (LNLS), Developed by researchers at the New Energy Innovation Center (CINE). Energy Materials Research Center (CNPEM). CINE is an Engineering Research Center (ERC) founded by FAPESP (Sao Paulo Research Foundation) and Shell and is hosted by the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This device is a spectroelectrochemical cell that improves the performance of fuel cells, electrolytic cells, batteries, and other equipment used to convert chemical energy into electricity and vice versa. Much research on this type of equipment has been done as part of efforts to develop renewable energy generation and storage solutions.
The new device is a cell that can be used to monitor electrochemical experiments involving a series of spectroscopic instruments operating in specific frequency bands of electromagnetic spectra such as infrared, visible and X-rays, and to analyze their behavior in a multifaceted manner. .. Materials for electrochemical reactions-Molecules of both electrolyte solutions and electrodes.
Articles about research are published as a special feature on the cover ChemElectroChem, With an interview with the last author, CINE researcher Pablo Sebastián Fernández.
“The main difference and advantage of our device is that we can perform different types of analysis in a single cell, thanks to windows that can be exchanged depending on the analysis of interest,” Fernandez told Agência FAPESP. “You can use a window that transmits infrared light, a window that transmits visible light, and a window that transmits X-rays to perform spectroscopic analysis in each of these frequency bands.”
This means that a single cell is capable of in-situ infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy (using visible light), and X-ray absorption and diffraction, among other techniques.
Except for special windows, the device contains all the usual components of an electrochemical cell, such as a working electrode, counter electrode, reference electrode, and electrolyte containing the salt or molecule of interest.
“The electromagnetic radiation beam that passes through the window interacts with both the molecule of interest in the electrolyte and the catalyst for which efficiency is being studied,” Fernandez said.
Another advantage is that, thanks to the cell architecture, the electrolyte can be modified during analysis and measured under flow conditions.
A combined approach to investigate interfacial electrochemistry in more detail
For more information:
José L. Bott-Netoetal, Cover: Versatile Spectroelectrochemical Cell for In-Situ Experiments: Development, Applications, and Electrochemical Behavior (ChemElectroChem 21/2020), ChemElectroChem (2020). DOI: 10.1002 / celc.202001242
Quote: The device is a fuel cell and battery acquired on December 21, 2020 from https: //phys.org/news/2020-12-device-refines-analysis-materials-fuel.html (2020, December 21) Improves material analysis
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The device improves the analysis of fuel cells and battery materials
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