Materials Chemistry for EnergyBuddie Mullins

3. Anode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries for Large-Scale Use

1. Nano-Structured Materials for Solar Photoelectrocatalysis for Fuels

Surface Chemistryof Nano-Structured Surfaces (Catalysis)

Prof. Bard

Prof. Henkelman

Prof. Heller

Prof. Hwang

UT-Austin

Iron Oxide NanoColumns

Gold Clusters on Titania

2.

Prof. Stevenson

&

&

Solar Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting with “Abundant” Materials

h

PhotocatalyticMaterial

Section of Single FeatheryNanocolumn

OH-½O2Solution

“Feathery Filament”From Nanocolumn

H+

H2 h

PhotocatalyticMaterial

Section of Single FeatheryNanocolumn

OH-½O2Solution

“Feathery Filament”From Nanocolumn

H+

H2

Reactive Gas Flux

Metal Flux

Metal Vapor

Reactive Gas Background

Substrateθ

Film

Substrate

Reactive Gas Flux

Metal Flux

Metal Vapor

Reactive Gas Background

Substrateθ

Film

Substrate

1. Pick “Candidate”Abundant, Metal-Oxide Photoelectrocatalysts

2. Rapid SynthesisAnd Screening

3. Deposit PromisingMetal-Oxide

Materials with Nano-Structured

Morphology

4. CharacterizeMaterial

5. TestPhotoelectrochemically

TiO2 Nano-Structured Films

Surface Chemistry of Nano-Structured Surfaces

Clusters on Supporting Surface

Exploratory studies ofcatalysis/“surface chemistry”- green processing, fuel cells and fundamental insights.

Nano-Structured Titanium Carbide Film which has Pt-like Catalytic Properties.

Examples

Tools

Experimental Surface Science Investigations Density Functional Calculationswith Dr.’s Henkelman and HwangTiO2 Clusters on Au(111) Surface

Osgood, Hrbek-Nano Lett. (2005)Gold Clusters on TitaniaGoodman-Science (1998)

Anode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries

Iron Oxide Nanorods

Copper Doped Silicon Nanorods

Carbon is typically used as anode in Li-Ion batt.’s but safety issues persist Need alternate materials:

•Low voltage•High capacity•High Li transport•Good electron conductor•Small volume change•Low cost and abundant •Non-toxic and

environmentally benign

•etc.

Our approach involves nanostructured sample synthesis, materials characterization, and electrochem.testing (e.g., Li transport, cyclability, capacity, etc.)

Welcome to Austin!!

Mullins Research Group