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Catalyst particle analysis for green hydrogen energy devices
In the world of advanced materials and technology, understanding the role of catalyst particles is essential. Whether they’re in proton exchange membrane devices or solid oxide systems, the location, size, and structure of catalyst particles matter. Cutting-edge tools help to observe and analyze these particles, providing crucial insights for optimizing device performance.
Electron microscopy helps to decipher the complexities of these systems, offering valuable information for studying device degradation and overall performance.
Imaging catalyst particles in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Platinum catalyst particles on the catalyst coated membrane (CCM) are crucial to the operation of a PEM device, and the location of these particles is crucial for their catalytic activity. Therefore, we need to be able to observe whether they are included on the surface or inside the support. The Thermo Scientific Apreo Scanning Electron Microscope can extract this information by using two different detectors.
Pt catalyst particles on the surface and inside the carbon support (T2 detector) | Selective imaging of Pt catalyst particles on the surface of the support (T3 detector).
Size distribution of catalyst particles in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Catalytic activity of Pt particles is not only governed by their location, but also by their size. To gather statistics on particle size, we not only need to image them but also extract their parameters in an automated routine.
Thermo Scientific Avizo2D Analysis Software was used to process this image and extract the relevant parameters, showing an equivalent diameter of 4 nm.
T1 BSE SEM images of Pt catalyst nanoparticles, with their strong signal and suitable resolution, facilitate efficient analysis through techniques like background correction and binary separation, enabling electrochemists to extract crucial particle diameter data for quality control and device optimization
3D characterization of a solid oxide electrode
In a solid oxide electrolyzer or solid oxide fuel cell, successful operation depends on the concentration of triple phase boundaries (TPBs). In turn, these depend on the relative volume fractions of ceramic, nickel, and voids and how they are interconnected. To resolve those materials, we need to distinguish between five phases: ceramic, percolating nickel, non-percolating nickel, voids, and non-percolating voids. Using a combination of plasma-FIB 3D milling, simultaneous in-column detection, image segmentation, and further data processing, the TPB density can be derived. This information can, for example, be used to study the degradation of a device after operation.
Segmentation of Ni, YSZ and voids
Ni: Percolating (l) and non-percolating (r)
Triple Phase Boundaries
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.