Green hydrogen: Perovskite oxide catalysts analysed in an X-ray beam
Schematische Ansicht der transformierten Schicht (hellgrau) auf dem LaNiO3 Perowskitfilm (grün), aufgewachsen auf einem Substrat (braun). Rechts ist die vergrößerte Seitenansicht der transformierten Oxyhydroxid-Schicht (mit Spindichte an den Ni-Plätzen) aus Simulationen dargestellt. © UDE/AG Pentcheva
The production of green hydrogen requires catalysts that control the process of splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. However, the structure of the catalyst changes under electrical tension, which also influences the catalytic activity. A team from the universities of Duisburg-Essen and Twente has investigated at BESSY II and elsewhere how the transformation of surfaces in perovskite oxide catalysts controls the activity of the oxygen evolution reaction.
In a climate-neutral energy system of the future, the sun and wind will be the main sources of electricity. Some of the "green" electricity can be used for the electrolytic splitting of water to produce "green" hydrogen. Hydrogen is an efficient energy storage medium and a valuable raw material for industry. Catalysts are used in electrolysis to accelerate the desired reaction and make the process more efficient. Different catalysts are used for hydrogen separation than for oxygen evolution, but both are necessary.
Perovskite oxide catalysts: inexpensive and with great potential
An interdisciplinary and international group of scientists from the University of Essen-Duisburg, the University of Twente, Forschungszentrum Jülich and HZB has now investigated the class of perovskite oxide catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in detail. Perovskite oxide catalysts have been significantly further developed in recent years, they are inexpensive and have the potential for further increases in catalytic efficiency. However, within a short time, changes appear on the surfaces of these materials which reduce the catalytic effect.
Spectroscopy at BESSY II
For this reason, the group has now analysed the surface structure in particular and compared the experimental data with density functional calculations. And spectroscopic analyses at the X-ray source BESSY II were performed. "We were able to determine that a certain surface facet is significantly more active and at the same time more stable than others. X-ray analyses allow us to understand how to overcome the traditional trade-off between activity and stability," says HZB scientist Dr Marcel Risch. The results also show how certain surface facets transform and where, for example, hydrogen atoms (or protons) accumulate.
These insights into transformation processes and structural transformations and chemical processes on the different facets of the samples studied are valuable: they contribute to the knowledge-based design of materials as electrocatalysts. After all, electrocatalysts are the key to many applications in green chemistry.
- Energy of charge carrier pairs in cuprate compoundsHigh-temperature superconductivity is still not fully understood. Now, an international research team at BESSY II has measured the energy of charge carrier pairs in undoped La₂CuO₄. Their findings revealed that the interaction energies within the potentially superconducting copper oxide layers are significantly lower than those in the insulating lanthanum oxide layers. These results contribute to a better understanding of high-temperature superconductivity and could also be relevant for research into other functional materials.
- Electrocatalysis with dual functionality – an overviewHybrid electrocatalysts can produce green hydrogen, for example, and valuable organic compounds simultaneously. This promises economically viable applications. However, the complex catalytic reactions involved in producing organic compounds are not yet fully understood. Modern X-ray methods at synchrotron sources such as BESSY II, enable catalyst materials and the reactions occurring on their surfaces to be analysed in real time, in situ and under real operating conditions. This provides insights that can be used for targeted optimisation. A team has now published an overview of the current state of knowledge in Nature Reviews Chemistry.
- Successful master's degree in IR thermography on solar facadesWe are delighted to congratulate our student employee Luca Raschke on successfully completing her Master's degree in Renewable Energies at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin - and with distinction!