Talk by Professor Marc T. M. Koper
Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Abstract
Platinum is the most used electrocatalyst in electrochemical energy conversion devices such as fuel cells and electrolysers. In this talk I will highlight the recent work of my group on understanding the surface chemistry of platinum in an aqueous electrolyte, by combining single-crystal electrochemistry, density functional theory calculations, ultra-high-vacuum modeling, in situ spectroscopy and in situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy.
I will challenge some existing explanations and interpretations of platinum electrochemistry, and show the sometimes surprising surface disordering of platinum that happens at both positive (anodic) and negative (cathodic) potentials.