• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.332-336
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• 2018

Alkaline oxygen electrocatalysis, targeting anion exchange membrane alkaline-based metal-air batteries has become a subject of intensive investigation because of its advantages compared to its acidic counterparts in reaction kinetics and materials stability. However, significant breakthroughs in the design and synthesis of efficient oxygen reduction catalysts from earth-abundant elements instead of precious metals in alkaline media still remain in high demand. One of the most inexpensive alternatives is carbonaceous materials, which have attracted extensive attention either as catalyst supports or as metal-free cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction. Also, carbon composite materials have been recognized as the most promising because of their reasonable balance between catalytic activity, durability, and cost. In particular, heteroatom (e.g., N, B, S or P) doping on carbon materials can tune the electronic and geometric properties of carbon, providing more active sites and enhancing the interaction between carbon structure and active sites. Here, we focused on boron and nitrogen doped nanocarbon composit (BNC nanocarbon) catalysts synthesized by a solution plasma process using the simple precursor of pyridine and boric acid without further annealing process. Additionally, guidance for rational design and synthesis of alkaline ORR catalysts with improved activity is also presented.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2010

In this study, we have demonstrated the fine structure effect of PdCo electrocatalyst on oxygen reduction reaction activity with different alloy composition and heat-treatment time. In order to identify the intrinsic factors for the electrocatalytic activity, various X-ray analyses were used, including inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy technique. In particular, extended X-ray absorption fine structure was employed to extract the structural parameters required for understanding the atomic distribution and alloying extent, and to identify the corresponding simulated structures by using FEFF8 code and IFEFFIT software. The electrocatalytic activity of PdCo alloy nanoparticles for the oxygen reduction reaction was evaluated by using rotating disk electrode technique and correlated to the change in structural parameters. We have found that Pd-rich surface was formed on the Co core with increasing heating time over 5 hours. Such core shell structure of PdCo/C showed that a superior oxygen reduction reaction activity than pure Pd/C or alloy phase of PdCo/C electrocatalysts, because the adsorption energy of adsorbates was apparently reduced by lowering the dband center of the Pd skin due to a combination of the compressive strain effect and ligand effect.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.65-72
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• 2014

The use of nanoscale electrocatalysts is a promising strategy for achieving high catalyst activity due to their large surface area. However, catalyst activity is not directly correlated to particle size. To understand this discrepancy, many studies have been conducted, but a full understanding has still not been achieved, despite the importance of particle size effects in designing an active catalyst. In this review, we focus on the discussion of particle size effects on the oxygen reduction reaction, and also discussed the nanoscale design beyond the nanoparticle to the meso and macroscale design.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• 제19권6호
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• pp.499-503
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• 2018

In this paper, cobalt embedded in nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanotubes (CoNSTs) were synthesized for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. The CoNSTs were prepared through a facile heat treatment method without any templates. Different amounts of the metal salt were employed to examine the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the CoNSTs. The CoNSTs showed the bamboo-like tube morphology with the encased Co nanoparticles in the tubes. Through the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, the catalysts exhibited different chemical states of the nitrogen and sulfur species. As a result, the CoNST performed high activity toward the ORR in an acidic condition with the onset potential of 0.863 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode). It was clearly demonstrated from the electrochemical characterizations that the quality of the nitrogen and sulfur species significantly influences the ORR activity rather than the total amount of the dopants.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.577-582
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• 2002

Selective catalytic reduction and selective non-catalytic reduction processes are mainly used to treat nitrogen oxidants generated from fossil-fuel combustion. Especially, the selective non-catalytic reduction process can be operated more economical and designed more simply than the selective catalytic reduction. For this reason, many researchers carried out to increase the removal efficiency of nitrogen oxidants in the condition of low oxygen concentration by using the selective non-catalytic reduction process. However, this study was flue gas contained high oxygen concentration of 20(v/v%) with ammonia as a reducing agent. Moreover, it carried out experiment with many factors that are reaction temperature, retention time, initial NO concentration, NSR(normalized stoichiometric ratio). It was determined optimal operating conditions to improve NO removal efficiency with SNCR process. The De-NOx efficiency was increased with NSR, initial NO concentration and retention time increasement. This study has NO removal efficiency over 80% in the high oxygen concentration as well as low oxygen concentration. The injection of reducing agent may be considered for SNCR process and facility operation in 850$\^{C}$ of optimal condition.

• 자원리싸이클링
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• 제18권5호
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• pp.12-18
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• 2009

고분자전해질 연료전지용 캐소드 촉매로서 화학환원법을 이용하여 20% Pt/C 제조하고 다양한 온도($300-600^{\circ}C$)열처리하여 산소환원반응을 평가하였다 $300-400^{\circ}C$에서 열처리한 20% Pt/C가 높은 산소환원반응 활성을 나타냈으며, 특히 $300^{\circ}C$에서 열처리한 촉매를 0.6V에서의 정전위를 측정한결과, 열처리하지 않은 촉매에 비해서 산소환원 반응 활성정도가 2배 높게 나타났다. TEM 및 XRD 분석을 이용하여 조사한 결과, 열처리 온도가 높아짐에 따라서 백금 입자 크기가 커지고 결정화도가 증가하는 것을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과에서 산소환원반응 활성을 위한 백금의 입자 크기와 결정화도가 $300^{\circ}C$에서 최적화되는 것으로 판단된다.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.242-248
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• 2016

연료전지에서의 전체 반응 속도는 산화전극에서 일어나는 수소산화반응에 비해 그 반응 속도가 현저히 느린 환원전극에서의 산소환원반응(oxygen reduction reaction, ORR)에 의해 결정된다. ORR 효율성 평가를 용이하게 하는 지표(descriptor)로서 촉매 표면에서의 산소원자 흡착강도를 활용하는데, 산소흡착강도는 촉매 표면의 기하학적 구조 변형에 따른 전자구조를 변형함으로써 조절할 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 백금 표면의 원자모델을 이용하여 표면의 기하학적 구조가 산소흡착강도에 미치는 영향과 그 원인을 밀도범함수이론(density functional theory, DFT) 계산을 통해 분석하였다. 먼저, 기하학적 구조를 인위적으로 변형시킨 Pt(111) 표면에서의 산소흡착반응을 밀도범함수이론 계산을 이용해 분석함으로써 기하학적 구조변화가 산소흡착강도에 미치는 영향(strain effect)을 확인하였다. 최적화한 Pt 격자상수($3.977{\AA}$)에 ${\pm}1%$ 간격의 변화율을 적용하고 각 변화율마다의 산소흡착강도를 계산하였는데, Pt-Pt 원자 간 거리가 멀어질수록 산소흡착강도가 강해지는 것을 확인하였다. 이는 원자 간 거리가 증가할수록 d-band center가 페르미 준위(Fermi level)쪽으로 이동하게 되며, 이로써 일부 반결합 오비탈(anti-bonding orbitals)에 전자가 채워지지 않기 때문에 전체적으로 반결합 오비탈이 형성될 가능성이 적어지기 때문이다. 결과적으로, 순수한 백금이 가진 격자상수($3.9771{\AA}$) 보다 약 2~4% 작은 백금 표면 격자크기를 가질 수 있도록 유도할 수 있다면 산소흡착강도가 적절히 약하게 조절될 수 있으며, 이는 순수한 백금보다 더 향상된 ORR 성능을 가진 촉매물질 개발 연구를 위한 기초자료로서 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.90-96
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• 2018

Reaction characteristics and kinetics of a oxygen carrier (OCN717-R1SU) for chemical looping combustion (CLC) have been investigated using TGA by changing gas concentration (10-30 vol.% $CH_4$) and reaction temperature ($825-900^{\circ}C$). Reaction rate of OCN717-R1SU increased as temperature increased and it was found that reaction is delayed at the initial reaction regime. Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) model was adopted to explain the reaction phenomenon. The activation energy (E) determined by JMA model in reduction reaction of OCN717-R1SU is $151.7{\pm}2.03kJ/mol$ and pre-exponential factor and JMA exponent were also obtained. The parameters calculated in this study will be applied in design of the reactor and operation conditions for CLC process.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.18-23
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• 2019

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a promising carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology whose efficiency and cost primarily relies on the oxygen carrier materials used. In this paper, gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC, Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95) was added as a promoter to improve the oxygen transfer rate of MgMnO3-δ oxygen carrier materials. Increasing GDC content significantly increased the oxygen transfer rate of MgMnO3-δ-GDC composites for the reduction reaction due to an increase in the surface adsorption of CH4 via oxygen vacancies formed on the surface of the GDC. On the other hand, the oxygen transfer rate for the oxidation reaction decreased linearly with increasing GDC content due to the oxygen storage ability of GDC. Adsorbed oxygen molecules preferentially insert themselves into oxygen vacancies of the GDC lattice rather than reacting with (Mg,Mn)O to form MgMnO3-δ during the oxidation reaction.

• 한국분말재료학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.420-425
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• 2016

N-doped carbon nanofibers as catalysts for oxygen-reduction reactions are synthesized using electrospinning and carbonization. Their morphologies, structures, chemical bonding states, and electrochemical performance are characterized. The optimized N-doped carbon nanofibers exhibit graphitization of carbon nanofibers and an increased nitrogen doping as well as a uniform network structure. In particular, the optimized N-doped carbon nanofibers show outstanding catalytic activity for oxygen-reduction reactions, such as a half-wave potential ($E_{1/2}$) of 0.43 V, kinetic limiting current density of $6.2mAcm^{-2}$, electron reduction pathways (n = 3.1), and excellent long-term stability after 2000 cycles, resulting in a lower $E_{1/2}$ potential degradation of 13 mV. The improvement in the electrochemical performance results from the synergistic effect of the graphitization of carbon nanofibers and the increased amount of nitrogen doping.