Proefschrift
Heterogenized molecular (pre)catalysts for water oxidation and oxygen reduction
Before the large scale use of renewable energy sources can be implemented in our society, the storage of electrical energy needs to be tackled. Storage the energy as hydrogen via the reduction of protons is a good option.
- Auteur
- Ham, C.J.M. van der
- Datum
- 10 oktober 2019
- Links
- Thesis in Leiden Repository
Before the large scale use of renewable energy sources can be implemented in our society, the storage of electrical energy needs to be tackled. Storage the energy as hydrogen via the reduction of protons is a good option. In order to form a closed electrochemical cycle an oxidation reaction need to be used. The water oxidation reaction is a good candidate as second reaction. When the energy is released, the oxygen reduction reaction is used to reduce the oxygen produced in the water oxidation reaction. This thesis focusses on heterogenized water oxidation and oxygen reduction catalysts. Water oxidation occurs under highly oxidizing potentials. This causes many molecular catalysts to degrade. In this thesis an example is given of two pyridyl-triazolylidene iridium precatalysts which have different rates of activation and deposition formation under reactive conditions. A copper-based catalyst has two different activation processes, an oxidative and a reductive pathway, which stress the importance of choosing the right reaction conditions before the start of catalysis. A copper complex with 1,10-phenanthroline ligands only forms an active oxygen reduction catalyst when one 1,10-phenanthroline ligand is coordinated to the copper ion. By immobilizing the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand on the electrode, an active heterogenized catalyst is formed.