Understanding the fundamental principles of operation for sustainable carbon-based electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution/Reduction Reaction (OER/ORR)

Oxygen electrocatalysis is of crucial importance for energy storage and conversion technologies such as electrolyses (OER happening at the anode of an electrolyser), fuel cells (ORR happening at the cathode of a fuel cell) and metal air batteries where bifunctional catalysts capable of performing both OER and ORR. Our group has previous experience in the synthesis of noble metal free electrocatalysts based on carbon materials produced from biomass resources. These catalysts are doped with heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, sulphur and boron and in addition with abundant and available metals such as Fe. We have demonstrated that only traces of Fe (as low as 0.2% at) are needed to significantly boost the ORR catalytic activity. We have also demonstrated that inducing edge defects in carbon electrocatalysts can also increase the performance towards both ORR and OER.
In this project we want to understand the fundamentals beyond these processes and the mechanism involved in the ORR/OER using defects-rich Fe/heteroatom doped carbons We will investigate the influence of the Fe chemical state within carbon electrocatalysts and understand the oxygen adsorption at the active site and electron transfer processes. Various electrochemical characterisation techniques such as sampled current voltammetry (to study O adsorbates), CV/LSV (to determine onset potentials, limited diffusion currents, half wave potentials) as well as Koutechy–Levich (KL), ring disk voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy (for determining electron transfer number and kinetics) will be used. “In operando” characterisation techniques such as EXAFS to characterise the change in the active sites during ORR/OER as well as the interactions of the active sites with the aqueous electrolyte and the generated water will also be employed. We will be collaborating with theoretical chemists and use DFT modelling to calculate oxygen binding energies on our catalysts and changes occurring at different potentials as well as the influence of water from the electrolyte and as a reaction product.

QMUL Research Studentship Details
• Available to Home/EU Applicants only.
• Full Time programme only
• Applicant required to start in September/October 2018
• The studentship arrangement will cover tuition fees and provide an annual stipend for up to three years (Currently set as £16,553 in 2017/18).
• The minimum requirement for this studentship opportunity is a good Honours degree (minimum 2(i) honours or equivalent) or MSc/MRes in a relevant discipline.
• If English is not your first language then you will require a valid English certificate equivalent to IELTS 6.5+ overall with a minimum score of 6 in Writing and 5.5 in all sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking).
• Please note that this studentship is only available to Home/EU Applicants. (See: http://www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/money/feestatus/ for details)

Supervisor Contact Details:
For informal enquiries about this position, please contact Prof Magdalena Titirici
Tel: 020 7882 6272
E-mail: [Email Address Removed]
https://titiricigroup.org

Application Method:
To apply for entry on to the Materials Science PhD programme (Full Time) please follow the instructions detailed on the following webpage:

Research degrees in Materials:
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/subjects/materials.html

Further Guidance:
http://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/applyresearchdegrees/index.html

Please be sure to include a reference to ‘2018 SEMS MMT1’ to associate your application with this studentship opportunity.