Electrocatalysis and Interfaces

The Electrocatalysis and Interfaces Group was established in 2012 combining the electrocatalysis activites of the former Fuel Cell Group and the Interface analytical activities of the former Interface and Capacitor Group.
Electrocatalysis is the key topic for electrochemical energy conversion. In order to optimize rate, selectivity, energy and stability of a certain electrochemical reaction - such as oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, hydrogen oxidation, and CO₂ reduction - proper catalysts have to be developed and optimized. The respective surface and interface analytical tools are essential for the understanding of the catalyst and are utilized in the group.

Therefore the activities of the group cover two focal points - Electrocatalysis and Interface analysis including Electrochemical capacitors.

Electrocatalysis - opens new routes towards more efficient fuel cells and other electrochemical processes e.g. CO₂ reduction. The group's main topics are investigations of the effect and utilization of oxides as support for O₂ reduction catalysts and the optimization of CO₂ reduction catalysts. Catalysts for electrolysis and reversible fuel cells are also studied in our group.

Interfaces - Surface analysis is essential for the understanding and optimization of catalytic and electrochemical interfaces and provides information about processes and electronic and molecular properties on a microscopic scale. The main topics at present are catalysis of nano particles and electrocatalysis. We also developed in situ UHV electrochemical cells for in situ studies of the electrolyte|electrode interface, in particular the ionic liquid | electrode interface.

In addition we provide support for customers within and outside PSI.

• Thomas J. Schmidt, head
• Dino Aegerter
• Casey Beall
• Anthony Boucly (LEC+LUC)
• Piyush Chauhan
• Emiliana Fabbri
• Meriem Fikry
• Natasha Hales
• Adrian Heinritz
• Juan Herranz
• Jinzhen Huang
• Jiyun Kwen
• Julia Linke
• Seçil Ünsal Dayanık
• Maximilian Winzely
• Paul Leidinger
• Juliana Bruneli Falqueto

For previous publications see the Publications Annual

• Interplay between Surface-Adsorbed CO and Bulk Pd Hydride at CO2-Electroreduction Conditions J.S. Diercks, J. Herranz, M. Georgi, N. Diklić, P. Chauhan, K. Ebner, A.H. Clark, M. Nachtegaal, A. Eychmüller and T.J. SchmidtACS Catalysis, 12(17), 10727-10741 (2022)DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c02660
• CO2 Electroreduction on Unsupported PdPt Aerogels: Effects of Alloying and Surface Composition on Product Selectivity J.S. Diercks, M. Georgi, J. Herranz, N. Diklic, P. Chauham, A.H. Clark, R. Hübner, A. Faisnel, Q. Chen, M. Nachtegaal, A. Eychmüller, and T.J. SchmidtACS Applied Energy Materials, 5(7), 8460-8471 (2022)DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c00987
• Potential Pitfalls in the Operando XAS study of Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis N. Diklic, A.H. Clark, J. Herranz, J.S. Diercks, D. Aegerter, M. Nachtegaal, A. Beard,  and T.J. SchmidtACS Energy Letters, 7(5), 1735-1740 (2022)DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c00727
• Time-resolved Potential-Induced Changes in Fe/N/C-Catalysts Studies by In-Situ Modulation Excitation X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopyy K. Ebner, A.H. Clark, V.A. Saveleva, G. Smolentsev, J. Chen, L. Ni, A. Zitolo, F. Jaouen, G.I.Kramm, T.J. Schmidt, and J. HerranzAdvanced Energy Materials, 12(14), 2103699 (2022)DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202103699
• Influence of low-temperature electrolyser design on economic and environmental potential of co and hcooh production: a techno-economic assessment B. Pribyl-Kranewitter, A. Beard, C.L. Gijiu, D. Dinculescu, T.J. SchmidtRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 154, 111807 (2022)DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.111807
• Enlightening the Journey of Metal Organic Framework (derived) Catalysts during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media via Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy J. Linke, T. Rohrbach, M. Ranocchiari, T.J. Schmidt, Emiliana Fabbri T.J. SchmidtCurrent Opinion in Electrochemistry, 30, 100845 (2021)DOI: 10.1016/j.coelec.2021.100845
• Asymmetric Butler-Volmer kinetics of the Electrochemical Ce (III)/(IV) Redox Couple on Polycrystalline Au Electrodes in Sulfuric Acid and the Dissociation field effect A. Heinritz, T. Binninger, A. Patru, T.J. SchmidtACS Catalysis, 11, 8140-8154 (2021)DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c04587

• An Online GAS Chromatography Cell Setup for Accurate CO2-Electroreduction Product Quantification J.S. Diercks, B. Pribyl-Kranewitter, P. Chauhan, J. Herranz, , T.J. SchmidtJ. Electrochem. Soc. 168(6), 064804 (2021)DOI: 10.1149/ 1945-7111/ac0363

• Potential-Induced Spin Changes in Fe/N/C Electrocatalysts Assessed by In Situ X-ray Emission Spectrocopy V.A. Saveleva, K. Ebner, L. Ni, G. Smolentsev, D. Klose, A. Zitolo, E. Marelli, J. Li, M. Medarde, O.V. Safonova, M. Nachtegaal, F. Jaouen, U.I. Kramm, T.J. Schmidt, J. HerranzAngewandte Chemie  133(21), 11813-11818 (2021)DOI: 10.1002/ange.202016951

• Investigation and Optimization of Operating Conditions for Low-Temperature CO2 Reduction to CO in a Forward-Bias Bipolar-Membrane Electrolyzer B. Pribyl-Kranewitter, A. Patru, T. Schuler, N. Diklic, T.J. SchmidtJ. Electrochem. Soc. 168(4), 043506 (2021)DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/abf063

• Perovskite Oxide Based Electrodes for the Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reactions: The Underlying Mechanism C.E. Beall, E. Fabbri, T.J. SchmidtACS Catalysis, 11(5), 3094-3114 (2021)DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c04473

• 57 Fe-Enrichment effect on the composition and performance of Fe-based O 2-reduction electrocatalysts K.Ebner, L. Ni, V.A. Saveleva, B.P. Le Monnier, A.H. Clark, F. Krumeich, M. Nachtegaal, J.S. Luterbacher, U.I. Kramm, T.J. Schmidt, J. HerranzPhys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 23(15), 9147-9157 (2021)DOI:  10.1039/D1CP00707F

• Oxygen evolution reaction activist and underlying mechanism of perovskite electrocatalysts at different pH B.J. Kim, E. Fabbri, M. Borlaf, D.F. Abbott, I.E. Castelli, M. Nachtegaal, T. Graule, T.J. SchmidtMater. Adv. 2, 445-455 (2021)DOI: 10.1039/D0MA00661K

• Effect of Cobalt Speciation and the Graphitization of the Carbon Matrix on the CO2 Electroreduction Activity of Co/N-Doped Carbon Materials K. Iwase, K. Ebner, J.S. Diercks, V.A. Saveleva, S. Ünsal, F. Krumeich, T. Harada, I. Honma, S. Nakanishi, K. Kamiya, T.J. Schmidt, J. HerranzACS Applied Materials / Interfaces  13(13), 15122-15131 (2021)DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c21920

• Tuning the Co Oxidation State in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-d by Flame Spray Synthesis Towards High Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity D. Aegerter, M. Borlaf, E. Fabbri, A.H. Clark, M. Nachtegaal, T. Graule, T.J. SchmidtCatalysts  10, 984 (2020)DOI: 10.3390/catal10090984

• Co-Electrolysis of CO2 and H2O: from Electrode Reactions to Cell Level Developement J. Herranz, A. Patru, E. Fabbri, T.J. SchmidtCurrent Opinion in Electrochemistry  23, 89-95 (2020)DOI: 10.1016/j.coelec.2020.05.004