PVcomB

Materials Technology

The Photovoltaic to Fuels Technology Group develops and verifies technologically relevant processing methods for various electrochemical materials.  Deposition processes, available for substrate sizes up to 10³ cm² for electro-catalysts and anti-corrosion coatings, are complemented by various electrochemical characterization tests to verify the functional performance of the materials.

Electrocatalysts

Deposition and analysis of earth abundant electrocatalysts on large areas for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) via low-cost methods such as electrodeposition and evaporation.

Large area electrodeposition

Electrodeposited NiFeO_x catalysts  on 11 cm ×10 cm Nickel foam

Electrochemical  characterisation 

Thermostated H-cell allows investigation of the effect of temperature on the electrocatalyst properties

Tafel slopes for different electrocatalysts

Overpotentials from polarisation analysis of oxygen evolution reaction catalysts determined via using the following test conditions: 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, 25°C, 3-electrode configuration

Temperature dependence of electrocatalyt overpotentials

Oxygen evolution reaction overpotentials at a current density of 10 mA/cm² (geometric area) in 1.0 M KOH as a function of temperature in 3-electrode configuration

Anticorrosion coatings

• Development of anticorrosion coatings based on metal oxides such as TiO_x, SnO_x, etc.
• Incorporation of protective coatings onto photovoltaic modules and photoabsorbers cells at the interface with corrosive electrolyte.
• Corrosion testing of device components and anti-corrosion layers

Corrosion test on flat samples

Thermostated corrosion cell allows investigation of the influence of  different operation parameters such as the applied bias as well as the type, temperature, concentration and flow rate of the electrolyte, etc on corrosion protection

Anticorrosion protective layers

Photograph of (a) un- protected molybdenum, (b) SnO_x – and (c) TiO_x- protected molybdenum after exposure to 1.0 M KOH

Potentiodynamic Polarization Test

Polarisation curves for Glass/Mo/TiO_x and Glass/Mo/SnO_x in 1.0 M KOH with applied potential varied from -250 mV to +1000mV vs E_ocp, scan rate: 5 mV/s  at 25°C