Shine a Light: Operando X-ray Scattering Insights into Degradation Processes in Fuel Cell Catalysts

PhD defence by Stefanie Punke

Assessment Committee

Professor Tom Vosch, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Jens Wenzel Andreasen, Technical University of Denmark
CNRS Research Scientist Raphael Chattot, Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier

Supervisors

Associate Professor Kirsten Marie Ørnsbjerg Jensen

Department

Department of Chemistry

Place

Building: August Krogh Building, Room: AUD 01 (AKB), Universitetsparken 13, 2100 Copenhagen

Email address to gain access to the thesis: stefaniepunke@gmx.de.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

Efficient and durable fuel cells rely on stable catalyst materials. Engineering these requires an understanding of the underlying degradation and structural changes occurring during operation. This PhD thesis explores how advanced X-ray scattering techniques can reveal these changes, from the atomic structure all the way to the nanoparticle scale. By combining complementary methods, this work investigates how platinum nanocatalysts degrade over time, how they form surface oxides, and how compositionally complex alloy catalysts can be studied. Ultimately, this work advances the tools for investigating catalyst degradation mechanisms and contributes to a better understanding of how more durable catalysts for sustainable energy technologies can be developed.