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Caffeinated Interfaces Enhance Alkaline Hydrogen Electrocatalysis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Caffeinated Interfaces Enhance Alkaline Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

Saad Intikhab, Luis Rebollar, Yawei Li, Rahul Pai, Vibha Kalra, Maureen H Tang and Joshua D Snyder
ACS catalysis, v 10(12), pp 6798-6802
19 Jun 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c01635
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02511-4View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

fuel cells double-layer dopant caffeine electrocatalysis reversible hydrogen reaction
The high Pt loading required for hydrogen oxidation (HOR) and evolution (HER) reactions in alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers adversely impacts the system cost. Here, we demonstrate the use of caffeine as a “double-layer dopant” to enhance both the HER and HOR of Pt electrodes in base. HER/HOR rates increase by 5-fold on Pt(111) and are accelerated on Pt(110), Pt­(pc), and Pt/C as well. FTIR spectroscopy confirms that caffeine is adsorbed at the Pt surface, forming a self-limiting film through electrochemical deposition. Caffeine films are stable up to 1.0 V vs RHE and are readily regenerated through caffeine deposition during load/potential cycling. The findings presented here both identify a potential catalyst additive that can mitigate high Pt loadings in alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers while opening the door to molecular engineering of solid/liquid interfaces for energy storage and conversion.

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13 Record Views
50 citations in Web of Science
45 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#7 Affordable and Clean Energy

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Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Physical
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