Skip to main content
  • Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
  • PSI Research, Labs & User Services

Digital User Office

  • Digital User Office
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
Suche
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

Hauptnavigation

  • Research at PSIOpen mainmenu item
    • Research Initiatives
    • Research Integrity
    • Scientific Highlights
    • Scientific Events
    • Scientific Career
    • PSI-FELLOW
    • PSI Data Policy
  • Research Divisions and LabsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Research with Neutrons and Muons
    • Photon Science
    • Energy and Environment
    • Nuclear Energy and Safety
    • Biology and Chemistry
    • Large Research Facilities
  • Facilities and InstrumentsOpen mainmenu item
    • Overview
    • Large Research Facilities
    • Facilities
    • PSI Facility Newsletter
  • PSI User ServicesOpen mainmenu item
    • User Office
    • Methods at the PSI User Facilities
    • Proposals for beam time
    • Proposal Deadlines
    • Data Analysis Service (PSD)
    • EU support programmes
  • DE
  • EN
  • FR

Digital User Office (mobile)

  • Digital User Office

You are here:

  1. PSI Home
  2. Labs & User Services
  3. ENE
  4. LEC
  5. Scientific Highlights

Secondary navigation

Electrochemistry Laboratory (LEC)

  • About LEC
  • Scientific Highlights
  • People
  • Research Groups
    • Battery Materials and Diagnostics
    • Battery Electrodes and Cells
    • Electrocatalysis and Interfaces
    • Fuel Cell Systems and Diagnostics
      • - Fuel Cell Systems
      • - Fuel Cell Diagnostics
      • - People
      • - Publications
      • - Partners
      • - Infrastructure and Services
    • Membranes and Electrochemical Cells
    • Neutron Imaging of Electrochemical Systems
      • NRES Projects
        • Patterned Wettability GDLs
        • Evaporative Cooling
        • PEWE Water Management
      • NRES Methods
        • Full Size Imaging
        • In plane imaging
        • Multi-cell
        • Losses Breakdown
        • GDL Dark field imaging
        • Water/Ice Distinction
      • NRES People
      • NRES Publications
    • Former Electrochemical Energy Storage
    • Former Electrochemical Energy Conversion
  • Instruments and Tools
  • Teaching
  • Seminar
    • LEC Seminar Archive
  • Awards
  • Publications
  • LEC Annual Reports
  • News
  • PSI Electrochemistry Symposium

Scientific Highlights

Toggle filters
Datum
18 February 2021
Schematic of the water transport mechanisms in GDL

Temperature Dependent Water Transport Mechanism

Subsecond and submicron operando X-ray tomographic microscopy (XTM) was applied to reveal the water dynamics inside the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC). Utilizing the instrumental advancements in operando XTM of PEFCs the contribution of capillary-fingering and phase-change-induced flow on water transport in GDLs was quantified, for the first time during fuel cell startup at different operation temperatures.

Read more
14 January 2021
Conversion efficiency based on the higher heating value (HHV) of hydrogen for the electrochemical water splitting reaction.

Efficient Water Electrolysis at Elevated Temperature using Commercial Cell Components

Decarbonization of the energy system across different sectors using power-to-X concepts relies heavily on the availability of low-cost hydrogen produced from renewable power by water electrolysis. Polymer electrolyte water electrolysis (PEWE) is a promising technology for hydrogen (and oxygen) production for distributed as a well as centralized operation. The total cost of hydrogen is dominated by the electricity cost. Therefore, increase of conversion efficiency is pivotal in improving the commercial viability of electrolytically produced hydrogen. In this study, we investigate the prospects of improving conversion efficiency by reducing the membrane thickness from 200 to 50 micron and increasing the cell temperature from 60 to 120°C.

Read more
17 December 2020
SEM cross-section images of graphite–Si electrodes

Graphite Anodes with Si as Capacity-Enhancing Electrode Additive

Silicon is a long-standing candidate for replacing graphite as the active material in negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries, due to its significantly higher specific capacity. However, Si suffers from rapid capacity loss, as a result of the large volume expansion and contraction during lithation and de-lithiation. As an alternative to pure Si electrodes, Si could be used as a capacity-enhancing additive to graphite electrodes.

Read more
2 December 2020
Chronoamperometry measurements

Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity and Underlying Mechanism of Perovskite Electrocatalysts at Different pH

PSI researchers have studied the how the electrolyte pH values influence the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and stability of different promising perovskite oxide catalysts for application as anodic electrodes in alkaline water electrolyzers. The OER activity and stability decreased decreasing the electrolyte pH values. By combining electrochemical studies and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements, it has been suggested that different reaction mechanisms dominate in alkaline and near-neutral electrolyte pH region.

 

Read more
19 November 2020
Cation Contamination in PEWEs

Analysis of cation contamination of polymer electrolyte water electrolysers (PEWEs)

With the help of in situ PEWE regeneration methods, we can potentially enable the treatment of degraded cells without the necessity of stack disassembly, saving operation costs of the plant. In this context, we observed the movement of cations in a PEWE cell using neutron imaging and compared it with a model. This model is expected to be useful for the early detection of cation contamination problems in PEWEs, and the monitoring of in situ regeneration.  

Read more
30 October 2020
XPEEM post mortem/operando

Post mortem/operando XPEEM: for studying the surface of single particle in Li-ion battery electrodes

X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM) with its excellent spatial resolution is a well-suited technique to elucidate the complex electrode-electrolyte interface reactions in Li-ion batteries. It provides element-specific contrast images and enables the acquisition of local X-ray absorption spectra on single particles. Here we demonstrate the strength of post mortem measurements and we show the first electrochemical cell dedicated for operando experiments in all-solid-state batteries.

 

Read more
8 October 2020
NCM Full Cells

Improved Interfacial Stability of Ni-rich Oxide Full-Cells

PSI researchers have identified a novel electrolyte additive, allowing extended voltage range of Ni-rich oxide full-cells, while keeping excellent performance. The instability of cathode–electrolyte interface causes the structural degradation of cathode active material and the electrolyte consumption, resulting in a rapid capacity fading and shortening battery life-time. The PSI-identified additive help to alleviate these problems and extend battery life-time.

Read more
22 September 2020
figure_oer_v4.png

Understanding of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Kinetics in Acidic Environment

The high operational expenditure of polymer electrolyte water electrolysis (PEWE) technology, dominated by kinetic losses from the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), inhibits large-scale market penetration. PSI researchers have developed a novel methodology to access underlying reaction mechanism of the OER. For the first time the reaction order for water has been determined. Advanced benchmarking of catalysts in technical environment also supports the development of novel, highly efficient catalyst materials.

Read more
20 August 2020
hl_5421_pbi

Bilayer Composite Membrane for the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is designed for grid-scale energy storage applications. Ion-exchange membranes are performance and cost relevant components of redox flow batteries. Currently used materials are largely ‘borrowed’ from other applications that have different functional requirements. For next generation VRFBs, it would be desirable to develop membrane materials based on low-cost porous separators with low resistance and high transport selectivity to minimize vanadium-ion and electrolyte crossover.

Read more
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next page ››
  • Last page Last »

Sidebar

Contact

Electrochemistry Laboratory
Paul Scherrer Institut
5232 Villigen-PSI
Switzerland

Laboratory Head a.i.
Dr. Felix N. Büchi
Telephone: +41 56 310 24 11
E-mail: felix.buechi@psi.ch


Secretary
Cordelia Gloor
Telephone: +41 56 310 29 19
E-mail: cordelia.gloor@psi.ch
top

Footer

Paul Scherrer Institut

Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland

Telephone: +41 56 310 21 11
Telefax: +41 56 310 21 99

How to find us
Contact form

Visitor Centre psi forum
School Lab iLab (in German)
Center for Proton Therapy
PSI Education Centre
PSI Guest House
PSI Gastronomie (in German)

 

Service & Support

  • Phone Book/People Search
  • User Office
  • Accelerator Status
  • PSI Publications
  • Suppliers
  • E-Billing
  • Computing
  • Safety (in German)

Career

  • Working at PSI
  • Job Opportunities
  • Training and further education
  • Vocational Training (in German)
  • PSI Education Center

For the media

  • PSI in brief
  • Facts and Figures
  • Media Contact
  • Media Releases
  • Social Media Newsroom

Follow us: Twitter (in English) LinkedIn Youtube Issuu RSS

Footer legal

  • Imprint
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Editors' login