Research: Advanced Electrochemical Techniques and Electrocatalyst Stability
Materials can only function as efficient electrocatalysts if they remain stable under the harsh electrochemical conditions. Unsurprisingly then, most electrocatalysts are noble metals such as platinum, iridium and ruthenium, since they remain relatively stable in such corrosive environment.
Stability is - in addition to activity - the most important property of electrocatalysts and it determined the long-term use of electrochemical devices (fuel cells, electrolyzers).
But despite their inertness, even noble metals slowly degrade. This is mainly induced by the varying electrode potential that causes transient metal dissolution. In order to be able to study degradation processes and design electrocatalysts with better stability, it is very important to be able to detect extremely low concentrations of metals that are dissolved during electrochemical experiments. To this end, a very sensitive technique was developed (in collaboration with D04) that connect an electrochemical flow cell with an ICP-MS detector.
To be able to study material degradation under conditions that are as similar to the real operating conditions as possible, new techniques are being developed that enable electrochemical tests at high current densities and high temperatures.
Publications
Maselj, N.; Gatalo, M.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Kregar, A.; Jovanovič, P.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2020, 167, 114506, 10.1149/1945-7111/aba4e6
Stability and degradation mechanisms of copper-based catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction
Popović, S.; Smiljanić, M.; Jovanovič, P.; Vavra, J.; Buonsanti, R.; Hodnik, N. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, Accepted Author Manuscript. 10.1002/anie.202000617.
Jovanovič, P.; Stojanovski, K.; Bele, M.; Dražić, G.; Koderman Podboršek, G.; Suhadolnik, L.; Gaberšček, M.; Hodnik, N. Anal. Chem. 2019, 91, 10353–10356, 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01317.
Jovanovič, P.; Može, M.; Gričar, E.; Šala, M.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Bele, M.; Marolt, G.; Hodnik, N. Coatings 2019, 9, 10, 10.3390/coatings9010010.
Comparison of Pt-Cu/C with Benchmark Pt-Co/C: Metal Dissolution and Their Surface Interactions
Gatalo, M.; Jovanovič, P.; Petek, U.; Šala, M.; Šelih, V.S.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Bele, M.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2019, 2, 3131 –3141, 10.1021/acsaem.8b02142.
Atomically Resolved Anisotropic Electrochemical Shaping of Nano-electrocatalyst
Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Gatalo, M.; Pavlišič, A.; Dražić, G.; Jovanovič, P.; Bele, M.; Gaberšček, M.; Hodnik, N. Nano Lett. 2019, 19, 4919–4927, 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b00918.
Video: 3D simulation of a PtCu3 nanoparticle before and after Cu dealloying
Platinum Dissolution and Redeposition from Pt/C Fuel Cell Electrocatalyst at Potential Cycling
Pavlišič, A.; Jovanovič, P.; Šelih, V.S.; Šala, M.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M.J. Electrochem. Soc. 2018, 165, F3161-F3165, 10.1149/2.0191806jes
Gatalo, M.; Jovanovič, P.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Pavlišič, A.; Robba, A.; Bele, M.; Dražić, G.; Gaberšček, M.; Hodnik, N. J. Electrochem. Sci. Eng. 2018, 8, 87–100, 10.5599/jese.487.
Corrosion Protection of Platinum-Based Electrocatalyst by Ruthenium Surface Decoration
Jovanovič, P.; Bele, M.; Šala, M.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Dražić, G.; Zabukovec Logar, N.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2018, 1, 3190–3197, 10.1021/acsaem.8b00405.
Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Gatalo, M.; Jovanovič, P.; Pavlišič, A. Bele, M.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M.; ChemCatChem 2017, 9, 3904, 10.1002/cctc.201700690.
Potentiodynamic dissolution study of PtRu/C electrocatalyst in the presence of methanol
Jovanovič, P.; Šelih, V.S.; Šala, M.; Hočevar, S.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Hodnik, N.; Bele, M.; Gaberšček, M. Electrochim. Acta 2016, 211, 851–859, 10.1016/j.electacta.2016.06.109.
Positive Effect of Surface Doping with Au on the Stability of Pt-Based Electrocatalysts
Gatalo, M.; Jovanovič, P.; Polymeros, G; Grote, J.-P.; Pavlišič, A.; Ruiz- Zepeda, F.; Šelih, V.S.; Šala, M.; Hočevar, S.; Bele, M.; Mayrhofer, K.J.J.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M. ACS Catal. 2016, 6, 1630–1634, 10.1021/acscatal.5b02883.
Pavlišič, A.; Jovanovič, P.; Šelih, V.S.; Šala, M.; Bele, M.; Dražić, G.; Arčon, I.; Hočevar, S.; Kokalj, A.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček, M. ACS Catal. 2016, 6, 5530–5534, 10.1021/acscatal.6b00557.
Jovanovič, P.; Šelih, V.S.; Šala, M.; Hočevar, S.B.; Pavlišič, A.; Gatalo, M.; Bele, M.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Čekada, M.; Hodnik, N.; Gaberšček M. J. Power Sources 2016, 327, 675–680, 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.07.112.
Jovanovič, P.; Pavlišič, A.; Šelih, V.S.; Šala, M.; Hodnik, N.; Bele, M.; Hočevar, S.; Gaberšček, M. ChemCatChem 2014, 6, 449–453, 10.1002/cctc.201300936.
Strmčnik, D.; Hodnik, N.; Hočevar, S.; van der Vliet, D.; Zorko, M.; Stamenković, V.R.; Pihlar, B.; Marković, N.M. J. Phys. Chem. C 2010, 114, 6, 2640–2644, 10.1021/jp908939e.