Probing Electrochemistry at the Micro Scale: Applications in Fuel Cells, Ionics, and Catalysis

Fuel cells promise cleaner power with less environmental impact than traditional energy conversion technologies. Despite recent technological successes, however, cost remains a commercialization barrier. We are also far from possessing a solid scientific understanding of what really goes on at the nano-scale inside fuel cells. Such understanding is critical for further progress. This text introduces several novel electrochemical techniques to study fuel cells at sub-micron length scales including a microelectrode scaling methodology and an atomic force microscopy impedance imaging technique that extends our characterization abilities to the nano-scale. While the techniques discussed in this book are employed to study fuel cells, characterizing and understanding nanostructures is a challenge extending beyond the fuel cell realm. Many other devices, such as solar cells, sensors, and thermoelectric converters also benefit from nanostructured materials. The parallels between these systems and fuel cells make them amenable to the same nano-scale visualization and measurement techniques, offering rich opportunities for further exploration.

Dr. Ryan O'Hayre received his Ph.D in Materials Science at Stanford University and is currently an assistant professor of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. O¿Hayre¿s research interests focus on alternative energy materials including aspects of electrochemistry, ionics, fuel cells and solar cells.