Electrocatalysts Design for 2e− Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Guest Speaker： Assoc.Prof. Xiaolei Wang，University of Alberta, Canada

Inviter: Assoc.Prof. Yao Li 

Date&Time: Thursday, 4. July. 10:00-11:00

Venue: Meeting Room 308 , Xu Zuyao Building

Biography:

Prof. Xiaolei Wang is currently an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta, and also titled Canada Research Chair in Batteries for Sustainability.  He runs his Nano For Advanced Clean Energy (NanoFACE) laboratory and mainly focuses on the rational design, development, and application of novel nanostructured materials for energy-related technologies, including lithium (and other alkaline)-ion batteries, lithium-metal batteries, rechargeable aqueous batteries, metal-air batteries, supercapacitors, and electrocatalytic system for water splitting, CO2 reduction and fuel cells.  Prof. Wang received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles, and took the postdoctoral training at the University of Waterloo.  Prof. Wang is the associate editors/young associate editors of several international journals including Energy & Environmental Materials, Renewables, and Frontiers in Chemistry, and editorial board members of Sustainability: Sustainable Chemistry, and Current Trends in Chemical Engineering and Processing Technology.  He has so far published over 100 papers in energy and nanotechnology fields including Nat. Commun., J. Am. Chem. Soc., Adv. Mater., Energy Environ. Sci., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Adv. Energy Mater., etc., and received a h-index of 44.  Prof. Wang serves as referees for over 70 international journals and many funding agencies, and is the recipient of Discovery Accelerator Supplement Grant, Petro-Canada Young Investigator Award, and Concordia University Research Chair Young Scholar.  Prof. Wang has organized, chaired or co-chaired on many national (e.g., CCEC, CCCE) and international (e.g., MRS, ECS, EEST) conferences on energy or materials.

Abstract:

Electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via 2-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) offers a promising approach for sustainable decentralized production of H2O2. However, ORR goes through either 4-electron pathway to water or 2-electron pathway to H2O2. The need for controllable modulation of ORR pathways, as well as the kinetic challenges, calls for the discovery and optimization of efficient catalysts. Herein, we focus on various design strategies of electrocatalyst towards 2-electron ORR, including (i) developing advanced electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity for both alkaline and acidic application media; (ii) elaborating ex-situ and in-situ characterization of electrocatalyst structure and electrochemical investigation; (iii) revealing the underlying factors that contribute to the high performance and providing guidance for future design; (iv) building up the gap between lab screening and practical application to facilitate its commercial utilization.