Size-selected Alloy Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Hydrogen Production

The production of hydrogen by electrochemical splitting of water offers a zero-carbon method for converting renewable energy to a fuel which can be stored for when it is needed and used to replace fossil fuels in many industrial processes. To produce hydrogen efficiently, electrocatalysts are needed that reduce the overpotentials for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER) and thus avoid large amounts of energy being wasted. They must also remain stable over extended periods under the aggressive electrochemical conditions they typically operate under. The best performing electrocatalysts are based on Platinum and Iridium, whose scarcity and cost limits the large-scale deployment of electrochemical water splitting. There is thus a pressing need for the development of low-cost electrocatalysts that use lower loadings of these components or fully replace them with earth-abundant elements.

This DPhil (PhD) project will use a newly acquired size-selected deposition source, that forms nanoparticles of controlled size by expanding a metal vapour through a nozzle, and then mass filters these to select only particles of a desired size. The formation of binary and ternary alloy particles will be studied and then their sizes and variation in composition characterised using electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrocatalytic performance of optimised electrocatalysts will be investigated using rotating disk electrode, electrolyser, and floating electrode setups. In addition to the traditional means of characterising electrocatalysts, the group has developed operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy capabilities to probe the electronic structure of the catalysts under electrochemical operation conditions, giving a deeper understanding to both the operational catalyst as well as the reaction pathway. These measurements are typically conducted at synchrotron facilities, meaning that there will be many opportunities to work at these facilities including the nearby Diamond Light Source as well as others internationally.

Any questions concerning the project can be addressed to Prof Robert Weatherup (robert.weatherup@materials.ox.ac.uk).

General enquiries on how to apply can be made by e mail to graduate.studies@materials.ox.ac.uk.  You must complete the standard Oxford University Application for Graduate Studies.  Further information and an electronic copy of the application form can be found at https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/applying-to-oxford.