Operando investigation of electrocatalysis in Fuel Cell and Electrocatalysis Cell

In this proposal, operando wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) will be employed to investigate the oxidation–reduction behavior of Pt electrocatalysts during cyclic voltammetry in fuel cell environments. Combined operando WAXS and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements will be used to monitor changes in crystallite size and particle size distribution, providing insight into grain growth and degradation mechanisms under realistic operating conditions. In addition, complementary ex situ WAXS and SAXS experiments will be performed on fuel cell samples to correlate operando observations with post-operation structural changes. For electrocatalysis cell experiments, operando WAXS will be applied to track structural and phase evolution of the electrocatalysts during electrochemical operation.