High-temperature Electro-catalysis: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT

High-temperature electrocatalysis involves reactions that take place at temperatures higher than 500°C using a cell that is comprised of solid electrodes and solid electrolytes. The best-known example of high-temperature electrocatalysis is solid oxide fuel cells. There are many other applications where the electrocatalytic cell can be used in electrolytic mode or ion pump mode to drive reactions that are thermodynamically not favorable, by application of an electrical bias. High temperature electrocatalysis offers many advantages, ranging from improved kinetics to increased ionic and electronic conductivity, from scalability and modularity to the availability of a wide range of electrode materials that do not rely on precious metals. The challenges include the materials compatibility, cell-fabrication issues and the difficulty of characterizing the electrocatalytic phenomena under operating conditions. Examples of high-temperature electrocatalysis from our research group, including co-electrolysis of CO2 and H2O, ammonia synthesis from H2O and N2, and oxidation reactions, such as oxidative dehydrogenation of lower alkanes and oxidative coupling of methane will be presented. New tools being developed to characterize electrocatalytic phenomena using techniques such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy and near-atmospheric X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at the synchrotron facilities will be discussed.

BIOGRAPHY

Umit S. Ozkan is a Distinguished University Professor and a College of Engineering Distinguished Professor at The Ohio State University. She received her Ph.D from Iowa State University in 1984 and joined the faculty of The Ohio State University in 1985. Between 2000 and 2005, she served as the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering. She held Visiting Scientist and Visiting Professor positions at the French Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse (Catalysis Research Institute) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Claude Bernard, respectively. Currently, she is the Chair of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department.

Dr. Ozkan is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAS), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE), and American Chemical Society (ACS). She is also a professional engineer registered in Ohio.

Her current research interests are focused on thermal catalysis and electro-catalysis. She has edited eight books, has written over 300 refereed publications and book chapters, given over 350 conference presentations and over 150 invited lectures in 20 different countries. She has eight patents. Professor Ozkan has held and continues to hold many leadership positions in several professional organizations, including ACS, AIChE, and North American Catalysis Society. She served or continues to serve on the Editorial Boards of Catalysis Today, Journal of Molecular Catalysis, Catalysis Letters, Topics in Catalysis, The Royal Society of Chemistry Catalysis Book Series, Applied Catalysis B, ACS Applied Energy Materials, Catalysis Reviews in Science and Engineering, ACS Catalysis, Journal of Catalysis, and Nature Sustainability.

Professor Ozkan is the recipient of many honors and awards among which are the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Margaret Rousseau Pioneer Life Time Achievement Award (2024), American Chemical Society George Olah Award (2024), North American Catalysis Burwell Lectureship Award (2023), ACS Henry H. Storch Award (2017), ACS Energy and Fuels Distinguished Researcher Award (2012), John van Geuns Lectureship Award at the Van't Hoff Institute at the University of Amsterdam (2010), Iowa State University, Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering (2010), AIChE Mentorship Excellence Award (2009), Fulbright Senior Scholar Award (2007), the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award (2002). In 2013, she was honored by a special volume of Topics in Catalysis. The volume included contributions from 35 different research groups from 12 different countries. In 2019, she was again honored, this time by a special volume of Catalysis Today.

In her research group, Dr. Ozkan has advised and mentored over 100 graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and honors students.